Kenya Airways mum on details of flight disruption
Kenya Airways is yet to give details of its flight disruptions, days after it warned of impending flight disruptions over the festive season due to problems in the global supply chain of aircraft spare parts.
Last week, Kenya Airways Chief Executive Officer Allan Kilavuka expressed concern over a global shortage of aircraft parts that has affected the airline’s maintenance schedule, resulting in some aircraft being grounded for longer than expected.
In a statement issued on December 8, 2023, Mr Kilavuka said the capacity shortage “may” continue for a period of “approximately two weeks.”
But despite the warning, the airline has yet to tell passengers which aircraft will be grounded and whether the disruption will affect both local and international flights.
When asked for a comment on how many flights were affected and whether it was both domestic and international, KQ’s head of corporate communications Henry Okatch simply said he would get back to us, which he hasn’t done 24 hours later.
Cancelled flights
He also did not say what will happen to those who have booked travel and how they will be taken care of. Mr. Okatch also failed to say how those affected could get more information about their canceled flights.
Last week, Mr. Kilavuka urged passengers to stay informed by checking the status of their flights on the airline’s website, Customer Excellence Centre, or mobile app.
“We anticipate that these circumstances may persist for approximately two weeks, and we want to thank you in advance for your understanding and patience during this time,” added Mr Kilavuka.
Updated data shows that Kenya Airways’ fleet consists of two B737- 300(SF)s, eight B737-800s, nine B787-8s and thirteen E190ARS. Of these, E190 5Y-KYS (msn 19000478) has been out of service in Nairobi since late October.
The airline has a fleet of some 32 aircraft and serves 44 destinations and some 60 routes with 140 daily flights.
Service disruptions
In June this year, Kenya Airways faced a similar challenge when it was forced to ground several aircraft for extended periods for maintenance checks due to a global shortage of spare parts.
The SkyTeam carrier had previously warned of the risk of service disruptions due to the unexpected impact of ongoing supply chain challenges.
“The yields are very strong, but obviously the costs are high,” Mr Kilavuka said earlier, highlighting the delicate balance between strong revenues and the financial strain caused by the shortage of spare parts.
Kenya Airways, known for its strategy of connecting African travelers to the world through its Nairobi hub, operates a fleet consisting of Boeing and Embraer planes.
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The airline has assured passengers that it will provide timely information and assistance to help them overcome any challenges arising from the flight disruptions.
Later on Tuesday afternoon, KQ issued an update saying that one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners was back in service but remained silent on the details of the flight disruptions.
It added that those disrupted during this period would be rebooked on the next available flight or through its codeshare partners.
“The challenges of delayed spare parts delivery have eased because many of the necessary components have been delivered, enabling us to return to service the last Boeing 787 Dreamliner, whose release had been delayed. This is a significant step towards restoring operational efficiency and ensuring an uninterrupted travel experience for all our passengers,” the statement read in part.
Kenya Airways mum on details of flight disruption
