Kenya Airways announces flight disruptions as engineers go on strike

Nine Kenya Airways (KQ) flights were delayed Monday morning as the company’s technical workers failed to show up for work.

On its official Twitter handle, the troubled national carrier notified customers that flights departing from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) had been rescheduled.

“We would like to advise our guests that we are experiencing some delays due to a number of our technicians not showing up for work,” KQ said in a statement to media houses Monday.

Passengers flying to Juba, Entebbe, Kisumu, Addis Ababa and Dar es Salaam are among those affected.

This is only the latest chapter in KQ’s ongoing labour wrangles with the firm just managing to avoid a planned industrial action by its pilots in October.

The Kenya Airline Pilots Association (Kalpa) had demanded the departure of the company’s chief executive officer and board chairman.

These demands have been met with former Safaricom chief executive Michael Joseph now heading the carrier’s board while the airline’s chief executive Mbuvi Ngunze recently announced he would step down by the end of March 2017.

READ: I will leave Kenya Airways early next year, says Mbuvi

ALSO READ: Michael Joseph says next Kenya Airways CEO 'likely an expatriate'

In the half year to September, the airline reported Sh4.8 billion in losses after tax.

Update:

Kenya Airways said it has 58 flights that are still scheduled for take off on its network despite the strike, with 51 of these already departing.