KQ said it is yet to plug the hole in technical wings despite hiring fresh graduates from Technical University of Kenya.
This follows the loss of at least 60 pilots to profitable carriers such as Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways.
The Middle East airlines are offering lucrative perks and salaries to the KQ’s highly trained specialists.
More than 100 aeronautical engineers and technicians have quit national carrier Kenya Airways #ticker:KQ for rival Middle East airlines in the past year, the company’s management said.
Kenya Airways said it is yet to plug the hole in technical wings despite hiring fresh graduates from Technical University of Kenya. This follows the loss of at least 60 pilots to profitable carriers such as Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways.
The loss of critical staff comes as the Kenyan carrier struggles to dig itself out of a loss-making pit, a financial position that has seen the ariline struggle to fend off strikes by its pilots, engineers and cabin crew.
“Kenya has in the past year exported technicians and engineers to the Middle East,” said KQ strategy director, Thomas Omondi. “About 100 technicians left and we hired, but there are more chances available.”
The Middle East airlines are offering lucrative perks and salaries to the KQ’s highly trained specialists.
The carrier’s pre-tax losses narrowed to Sh4.73 billion in the six months to September, from Sh11.86 billion in a similar period a year ago.
It has been reducing the size of its fleet, selling non-core assets including land and cutting jobs to try and turn itself around after being hit in part by reduced travel to Kenya.
The appointment of former Safaricom #ticker:SCOM CEO executive Michael Joseph as chairman in October has helped lift sentiment at the airline and assuaged pilots who had been threatening to go on strike
Pilots were demanding management changes and expressed doubts of then executives shepherding a turnaround.
PAYE Tax Calculator
Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
