Kenya Airways losing pilots to Middle East

The Kenya Airline Pilots Association has raised concerns over loss of human capital in its organization as more KQ pilots leave for the Middle East in search of greener pastures.

The national carrier has been losing pilots to Middle East airlines as a result of poor performance that is linked to bad management decisions, operational inefficiencies and failure to counter competition.

KALPA Secretary General Captain Paul Gichinga said that KQ has lost approximately 56 pilots in the last 6 months thereby creating a staff shortage for the troubled national carrier.

“We are losing a lot of pilots to the Middle East, in the last 6 months or so we have lost approximately 56 pilots who have left for greener pastures or to pursue other careers. So there is actually a brain drain from the company, so far we are actually short of pilots, and that has always been our position,” said Captain Gichinga.

Gichinga said they have not had any salary increment for the last four years, reaffirming the union’s calls for change of top management at the airline, which they believe is the main solution to bring the airline back to profitability.

“In the last 4 years there has not been any pay increment that we have received. The industrial action that we took on the 28^th of April this year, where we went on strike for approximately 6 to 8 hours was for the push for change of management,” he said.

KALPA had recently renewed calls for the dismissal of KQ’s Chief Executive Officer Mbuvi Ngunze citing lack of decisive direction and leadership resulting to incompetence which directly hurts the airline.

Kenya Airways is seeking to recover from a failed expansion strategy that saw it record a historic loss of Sh26.2 billion for the year ended March 2016.