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Kenya Airways pilots disrupt flights despite court order

Xinhua, April 28, 2016 Adjust font size:

Kenya Airways confirmed its flights were disrupted on Thursday after pilots failed to show up for work despite a court order stopping them from paralyzing the operations of the airline.

The carrier said the slight disruptions which were experienced in the morning flights caused inconvenience to its customers who were due to connect to different destinations across the globe.

"We have experienced some flight disruptions this morning that have caused inconveniences to our guests. This is despite the agreement with KALPA on consultation over the next one month, and their signing of the agreement Wednesday evening," the airline said.

The Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) which represents about 500 pilots issued a 48-hour strike notice on Tuesday as members demanded the immediate resignation of Kenya Airways CEO Mbuvi Ngunze over alleged mismanagement.

The association's Secretary General Captain Paul Githinga said they held a meeting Wednesday evening and resolved to down their tools if their demands were not met.

Sources said some of the pilots did not show up at the airport to fly the aircrafts, causing delays on flights to the cities of Kinshasa, Kigali, Lagos, Douala, Amsterdam and Abidjan.

"Our pilot fraternity is a vital part of our business and we are working together to resolve any outstanding issues. This is highly regretted and we are working to reduce these disruptions and provide assistance to our guests," the airline said.

Sources at the airline said some flights are operational as scheduled. The pilots union, Kenya Airways management and the government officials were held up in a meeting on Thursday to find the way out.

Kenya Airways, once the most successful airlines in Africa, has been relying heavily on debt to finance its operations following the launch of its overly-ambitious 10-year resource-draining expansion plan dubbed Project Mawingu. Endit