Pilots of one of Africa’s biggest airlines downed gear from 6am local time on Saturday, affecting business and leisure travelers at one of Africa’s major aviation hubs. In an internal memo to pilots seen by Reuters, the carrier said the strike was illegal and asked pilots to return to duty immediately. “This (strike) has resulted in great inconvenience to our guests and consequential losses. This action is construed as engaging and engaging in illegal industrial action,” the note said. “Pilots who fail to report for duty … will have disobeyed lawful orders issued by management and calls for disciplinary action, which may result in dismissal.” Earlier on Saturday the Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) said the airline’s management had refused to listen to their suggestions on how to resolve their grievances. [1/6] A woman pushes her luggage after her flight was canceled during a strike by Kenya Airways pilots, organized by the Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA), at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya “No KQ (Kenya Airways) aircraft has departed Jomo Kenyatta International Airport flying a KALPA member since 6am today,” the association said in a statement. “The strike is in full effect.” Kenya Airways apologized to passengers in a statement and said it would do its best to minimize the inconvenience, which could include rebooking them on alternative flights. Before the action, the company had warned that the strike could jeopardize its recovery from the pandemic, resulting in losses of at least 300 million shillings ($2.5 million) a day. “The pilots are throwing the baby out with the bath water,” Transport Minister Kipshuba Murkomen told private broadcaster NTV. “It is about 10,000 passengers that have been affected so far and if the situation continues like this, the effects on the other sectors of the economy, tourism, will be serious.” Passengers at the airport told Reuters early on Saturday that the previous night had been chaotic as people tried to travel before the strike began. Hundreds of passengers arriving in transit were trapped inside the airport as their connecting flights failed to take off, they said. The pilots’ union says it is striking over a dispute over pension contributions and the settlement of deferred pay for its members. Reporting by Thomas Mukoya and Duncan Miriri. Written by Akriti Sharma and Elias Biryabarema. Editing by William Mallard, Mark Potter and Christina Fincher Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
