Kenya Airways executives have received half pay for December, reflecting cash flow challenges at the national airline amid the grounding of planes due to a global spare parts shortage.
Internal communication seen by Business Daily reveals that KQ’s top-earning employees will celebrate the festive season with only half their pay, with the delay blamed on the “challenging period” the carrier is facing.
The airline said the partial payment of salaries would affect top earners, without specifying the roles involved.
The delay comes amid one of the carrier’s worst capacity constraints, caused by a global shortage of aircraft parts, which has led to the prolonged grounding of KQ’s planes and higher leasing costs.
“As communicated earlier, Kenya Airways continues to navigate a challenging period while working steadily toward stability,” reads an email sent to affected staff by the company’s human resources department.
“We wish to inform you that December 2025 salaries will be paid in two parts due to the current circumstances. Please be advised that 50 percent of net pay will be disbursed on or before December 24, 2025, with the balance paid on or before January 6, 2026.”
A KQ spokesperson confirmed the delay but said only staff in the top job groups had been affected, while the majority in lower pay bands had already received their salaries in full.
“It’s true that KQ has been facing cash flow challenges since the 2020 pandemic, and this is not the first time we’ve had salary delays. However, only top earners have been affected,” the spokesperson said.
KQ’s cash flow pressures this year have largely been attributed to lower revenues resulting from capacity constraints caused by extended maintenance parking for up to 11 of its 34 aircraft.
In the half-year to June, KQ’s revenues fell by 18.5 percent to Sh74.5 billion from Sh91.5 billion a year earlier, while costs declined marginally to Sh86.7 billion from Sh90.9 billion. This resulted in a net loss of Sh12.2 billion, compared with a profit of Sh624 million in 2024.
Capacity constraints led to declines in both passenger and cargo volumes, weighing on revenues. Passenger numbers fell to 2.2 million from 2.5 million in 2024, while cargo volumes dropped to 32,350 tonnes from 35,087 tonnes.
With 11 aircraft grounded, including three Boeing 787 Dreamliners, KQ’s capacity was down by at least 20 percent, reducing passenger and cargo volumes and, in turn, revenues.
So far, one Dreamliner has returned to service, along with two Embraer aircraft—one with a capacity of 96 seats and the other 140 seats—which has significantly eased the capacity strain.
