Hundreds of Passengers Stranded at JKIA as Kenya Airways Pilots Go on Strike

Hundreds of passengers were on Saturday stranded at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after pilots under Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) commenced an industrial action, paralyzing the airline’s operations.

Some of the passengers who arrived at the airport hoping to travel to various destinations said they were not alerted about the ongoing crisis and blamed KQ for failing to make alternative plans for them.

“I can't calm down because I'm up here, so you have to come up here with me. It's called emotional intelligence. Deal with me. I gave you my money, you should fly me back to Ghana," an enraged traveler told a Kenya Airways official at the airport.

He added: "You should have thought of me first as your customer. If you have issues with your government, go ahead... My brother is waiting for me to land in Ghana to go emcee a wedding."

On Saturday, the airline said its Customer Excellence Centre will only prioritize calls from customers who had planned to travel in the next 48 hours.

"Due to the ongoing unlawful industrial action by Kenya Airways Pilots Association (KALPA) we are experiencing high call volumes at our customer excellence centre," said KQ in a statement. "Please contact us only if you are travelling within 48 hours." 

KQ Passenger Services Manager Beryl Opondo apologized for the inconvenience caused and promised to find a solution for the customers affected by the strike.

"We will provide duty of care including and not limited to hotel accommodation, meals, transfers and a booking to the next available flight dependent on the delay," she said.

"Please note that this may include rebooking you on other airlines. In case you choose not to travel, you can request for a rebooking to a later flight at no additional cost or a refund for the unutilized sector."

The pilots are accusing the airline of withdrawing the staff provident fund, victimization and harassment of union officials and KALPA members, non-adherence to regulations and the Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) as well as leadership and governance issues affecting them.