About 30 pilots have left Kenya Airways for greener pastures in the last three months, their lobby said yesterday, bringing the tally to 105 in one and a half years.
Kenya Airline Pilots Association said yesterday staff welfare at the national carrier should be expeditiously addressed to arrest further exodus. About 50 engineers are also said to have left the airline.
“Last month, we received 10 resignations and they continue to increase. We are just bleeding. The attrition is too high both for pilots and engineers,” Kalpa secretary general Paul Gichinga told the Star.
KQ, privatised in 1996 with the state retaining a 29.8 per cent stake, has in the recent past suffered on-and-off flight rescheduling and cancellation, largely due to strike threats.
On Monday, there was a delay of at least nine scheduled flights following a go-slow by a section of engineers due to lack of promotion and unfavourable shift patterns. A deal was, however, reached late Monday.
“We wish to advise that our flight schedule has returned to normalcy this (Monday) evening,” KQ said in a statement.
Outgoing chief executive Mbuvi Ngunze could not be reached for comment as calls and texts by the Star went unanswered.
“All I know is that our flights are crewed and are flying to where they are meant to go,” Kenya Airways corporate communications manager Wanjiku Mugo said.
By August this year, KQ had 450 pilots flying its fleet of 30 aircraft down from 525 one and a half years ago.
The airline needs about 490 pilots to operate optimally, Gichinga said, “which will cater for annual leave”.
KQ also has a shortage of more than 150 cabin crew, Kalpa claimed, which is affecting flight schedules.
“These people went ahead to retrench 39 cabin crew yet they already had a shortage. There is no one to fly,” Gichinga said.
He said more pilots could leave if KQ management fails to put in place proper structures.
The exodus is largely motivated by fatter packages offered by other airlines, especially the Middle East airlines like Qatar Airways and Emirates.
The union has called for two industrial actions this year, demanding for an overhaul of the top management.
This led to resignation of former chairman Dennis Awori on October 26. He was replaced by Michael Joseph. Ngunze is set to leave by March next year.