Kenya Airways normalizes operations after weekend go slow

National Carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) says it is engaging its pilots to resolve a go slow that has affected operations since Saturday.

While the airline is yet to clarify on the impasse that had led to the go slow, a section of pilots had withdraw their goodwill, which sees them operate beyond their duty hours.

KQ, as the airline is commonly referred to, maintains that it had minimized the impact of the action that begun over the weekend.

“Our operations are normalizing today with minimum delays on some flights. We have cancelled and combined some flights to manage the situation and to ensure our affected guests are taken care of,” Kenya Airways said in a statement.

Passengers flying to Mombasa, Dar-Es-Salaam, Kigali, Harare, Johannesburg, Mumbai, Douala, Lagos and Abidjan are among those affected by the go slow on Monday.

Kenya Airways ferries on average 12,000 passengers on its network a day.

While the airline sought to normalize the situation, confusion reigned as the pilots union appeared to be unaware of any such challenges.

Sources indicated to Citizen Digital that the standoff resulted in the cancellation of three Kenya Airways flights departing from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Sources further claim that the pilots through their lobby group Kenya Airlines Pilot Association (KALPA) withdrew their goodwill with the management of Kenya Airways, leading to a disruption of flight schedules and other services.

However when reached for comment, an official from KALPA who sought anonymity downplayed the go slow terming the issue as lapse in planning from a managerial point.

The pilot’s association has been vocal on the running of the airline and last year reached a deal with Kenya Airways board and management to call of a strike that threatened to paralyze operations.