KQ strike paralyses air travel

• A KQ 104 flight scheduled to depart for London from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 9.50 a.m has been cancelled.
• At least 9 flights said to have been cancelled and 25 more delayed.
• Three union officials arrested.

Kenya Airways staff made good their strike threat on Friday paralysing transport at the busiest airport in the country.

A KQ 104 flight scheduled to depart for London from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 9.50 a.m has been cancelled.

Only three flights out of 25 that were to leave for various destinations were airborne on Friday morning. Most passengers were milling around the airport waiting to know the fate of their flights.

The managing director of the national carrier, Mr Titus Naikuni, said the situation was “serious” adding that only a “slight disruption” of their normal operations will be experienced.

At the early morning news conference at Nairobi’s Stanley Hotel, Mr Naikuni said the airline management was “not panicking” over the impending loss of business to their competitors operating in the country.

He said that some workers on leave “had offered” to cut short their vacation to ease the already biting crisis which is likely to cost the national carrier millions.

“It is a shame that this has happened. Passenger numbers were just picking up after the economic slowdown,” he said.

One of the two morning flights to Johannesburg, South Africa was cancelled. The passengers who had been booked on it boarded the only flight available “because it was not full”, Mr Naikuni said.

The other cancelled flight due to the go slow was headed to Kigali, Rwanda.

The KQ boss said at least 45 cabin crew had not reported to work, while a few other officers had reported for duty but refused to work.

Other flights which suffered the delays are those which left for Mombasa, Kisumu, Maputo (Mozambique), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Entebbe (Uganda).

An Aviation and Allied Workers Union official, Mr Bernard Mwasaha who is a flight engineer based in Mombasa, told the Nation that three officials were arrested by police for taking part in an illegal strike.

He said that the union was ready to talk to management over negotiating a better pay package.

There was a heavy police presence at the airport as early as 6.00 a.m. They escorted staff members outside the airport precincts to avoid them banding together.

There were allegations that some cabin crew members were smuggle into the airport and forced to work by management.

Crew members told the Nation that they would not give in to threats and intimidation and vowed to press on with their demands.

The protesting workers are demanding a salary increase of 130 per cent against the airline’s offer of between 11 and 13 per cent.

The AAWU comprises flight engineers, cabin crew, cargo loaders and customer support staff.