KQ under fire as senators question operational efficiency

Kenya Airways (KQ) reliability in the face of recurrent and excessive delays affecting the scheduled flights on Wednesday came into sharp focus as senators debated the national carriers' operational efficiency.

Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda, in a statement before the house, said the national carrier, variously known as the Pride of Africa, bears a profound responsibility to uphold service excellence, operational integrity, and efficiency.

 Ojienda told the house that the incessant delays and cancellations of scheduled flights, both domestic and international, have disrupted travel plans, undermined confidence in the airline, and raised serious concerns regarding its capacity and management.

“The Senate Roads and Transport Committee should provide a detailed breakdown of the number of aircraft owned and leased by KQ, their deployment for domestic and international routes, and the extent to which the available fleet meets the demands of air travel,” said Ojienda.

The Kisumu Senator also demanded the disclosure of the airline's ownership status, including principal shareholders, asset ownership, and the terms and duration and financial implications of leasing arrangements for aircraft and related operational equipment.

He wants provision of a comprehensive analysis of primary causes of delays in scheduled domestic and international flights, with a focus on recent disruptions, while examining Kenya Airways existing partnerships, code-sharing agreements and interdependencies with other carriers.

The Kisumu Senator also asked for an assessment on whether these agreements contribute to service disruptions and outline the immediate and long-term strategies in place to rectify these issues.

 “We need a clarification on whether Kenya Airways has an adequate number of pilots, engineers and essential personnel to efficiently execute its flight schedules and outline any ongoing or planned measures to bridge any human resource gaps,” said Ojienda.

The Kisumu Senator sought for an outline of the airline's protocols on passenger communication, compensation and service recovery when flights are delayed or cancelled and evaluate whether these measures align with international best practices.

Ojienda sought a confirmation of Kenya Airways compliance with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority regulations and any penalties or corrective directives issued due to operational shortcomings.

Makueni Senator Daniel Maanzo told the house that Kenyans get inconvenienced with this happening when something goes wrong with an aircraft or it fails to take off from another destination and therefore, disrupts the rest of the events of the flight.

“Sometimes a flight takes off, develops problems airborne, and comes back, that happened one time with a flight to New York with people stranded at the airport, although efforts were made to make them comfortable for many hours” said Maanzo.

The Makueni Senator said that this eventually messed up the whole schedule of the New York flights, which was a big favour from the American Government, so that it could make travel easy.

 Maanzo said there was a need to make sure that the management is assisted by parliament to make sure that our destination is reliable and people wish to use our branded aircraft.