Kenya Airways cancels flights amid strike

Kenya Airways has cancelled five flights to African destinations and delayed one as a strike by its staff members entered its third day on Sunday, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded in Nairobi, Kenya.

The airline has cancelled flights to Mozambique's Maputo, Zimbabwe's Harare, South Sudan's Juba, Tanzania's Kilimanjaro and Kenya's coastal city of Mombassa and has delayed flight to South Africa.

"Some of our outsourced staff including cabin crew have stayed away from work since Friday and we are working with their employer to resolve any issues they may have," the airline said in a statement.

More than 200 of Kenya Airways' contracted workers through the Career Direction Limited on Friday downed their tools citing unfair employment terms from the airline.

The contracted workers who serve in the departments ranging from finance, sales to flight operations promised to remain on strike until the management of Kenya Airways met them or do away with the contractor Career Directions Limited.

Grievances raised by the contracted employees include lesser pay compared to their colleagues in Kenya Airways, lack of allowances, a medical cover that does not include family members among others.

The airline said it was "working with their employer to resolve any issues they may have."

The crisis comes as Kenya Airways is struggling to fly out of its tough financial times having recorded an improved half-year loss of 50 million U.S. dollars.

A Kenyan court on Friday stopped a planned strike by Kenya Airways pilots which was due to start on Oct. 18 to protest against alleged mismanagement of the airline.

Kenya Airline Pilots Association Secretary General Paul Gichinga on Tuesday said they would down their tools from Tuesday if KQ CEO Mbuvi Ngunze and chairman Dennis Awori didn't vacate office. Endit