Kenya Airways pilot Captain Salah Salim Jeizan died of Covid-19 on Wednesday while receiving treatment at a hospital in London.
Captain Jeizan died after a month-long admission at the London hospital on Wednesday.
The Standard learnt that the 53-year-old captain had flown to London a few weeks ago while on duty. However, he reportedly fell ill after arriving in London. Following the illness, Captain Jeizan was hospitalized.
Ms. Evelyne Munyoki, the Chief Human Resources Officer at Kenya Airways, announced Cpt Jeizan’s death to staff in a memo released yesterday.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of our colleague Captain Salah Salim Jeizan which occurred on December 2, 2020, at a London hospital where he was receiving treatment,” she wrote.
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The statement further said: “Captain Jeizan joined Kenya Airways on November 21, 2001. He rose through the ranks flying various fleets and until his last position, as a Senior Captain on the B787 fleet”.
His colleagues also eulogized him as meticulous and easy to work with. One wrote, “Captain Jeizan was a gentleman, a father figure, extremely pleasant to work with. I was always impressed by how meticulously neat he was. May he rest in eternal peace.
Captain Jeizan was one of Kenya Airways’ most senior and experienced captains, having worked with the airline since November 2001. Over the last years of his career, he was the Senior Captain of the B787 fleet.
It is yet another blow to the airline after losing another senior pilot Captain David Kibati- on April 1 this year.
Captain Kibati, who flew the 787 fleet, died after contracting Covid-19 following a flight that had been sent to evacuate Kenyans from New York, US- a few days earlier.
He was reported to have developed Covid-19-related complications during his quarantine, after his return to Kenya from the United States. Captain Kibati died at the Nairobi Hospital aged 63.
