Kenya Airways (KQ) has made a few changes in its latest cost-cutting efforts. The National carrier has halved pilots for all trips and asked them to fly faster on the Nairobi-Guangzhou route.
KQ says the changes are in accordance with Kenyan flight operations regulations laws, the manufacturer’s flight crew training manuals and the agreement with the Kenya Airline Pilots Association (Kalpa)
Through its Secretary-General Murithi Nyagah, ther union has however disputed the move, saying that directing pilots to cruise at a cost index of 300 on the route is illegal and poses a risk to passengers and crew.
Read: KQ Increases Flights to London After Removal From Red List
Speaking to the Business Daily, KQ Director of Operations Paul Njoroge however maintained that the Civil Aviation Act allows international flights up to 15 hours of duty time and up to 20 hours if the aircraft has three or more pilots.
“Kenya Airways operates its flights to London, Amsterdam, Paris and used to operate to Bangkok and Hanoi with one captain and one first officer and these flights have a maximum duty time of 12 hours just like the China flight with the increased speed,” Mr Njoroge said.
“The agreement between KQ and the pilots union allows for flights up to a maximum or 10 hours and 30 minutes flight time with one captain and one first officer and all our flights are with the Kenyan law, within the approved operators’ manual flight scheme and within the agreement with the union.”
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