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Kenya Airways denies flights cancellations

Xinhua, March 28, 2015 Adjust font size:

Kenya Airways on Friday refuted reports that several of its passengers were stranded at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) following delay and cancellation of flights due to a strike by the pilots.

The airline's CEO Mbuvi Ngunze reassured travelers that flight schedule is operating normally. "However, the flight KQ 102 to London scheduled to depart at 23: 55 hrs last evening was delayed and left this morning at 10:00 hrs. The delay was due to a crew scheduling issue that was resolved," Ngunze said in a statement released in Nairobi.

He also said a group of 15 passengers missed their connecting flight to Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after their flight from Dubai was delayed owing to the closure of Yemeni air space.

"They also missed this morning's flight scheduled to depart at 7:55 hrs after a late hotel to airport transfer. The issue has been addressed and they will now depart for Kinshasa on flight KQ 552 at 21:00 hrs tonight," Ngunze added.

The go-slow follows a decision by the Kenya Airline Pilots Association to rally its members after the airline retired ten pilots before their retirement age.

But the airline said that the move was part of an ongoing fleet modernization exercise, adding that it was retiring the pilots according to provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) it signed with the union.

The national carrier said it is in talks with the association, which has threatened industrial action over the sackings, arguing that its members are being forced to retire early. Endi