Kenya Airways gets court order to stop pilots’ strike

Kenya Airways Plc obtained a court order to stop a strike that pilots planned to begin on Wednesday, a bid to avoid disrupting flights for thousands of travelers. 

The Kenya Airline Pilots Association issued a notice for industrial action over allegations that the state-controlled airline failed to abide by mutual agreements and suspended contributions to a provident fund.

“We were not able to strike an agreement,” the airline’s Chief Executive Officer Allan Kilavuka said at a briefing on Tuesday in Kenyan capital, Nairobi. “We are still open and willing to have discussions regarding the grievances they have raised.”

The pilots association’s Secretary-General Murithi Nyagah said the union wasn’t aware of the court order stopping their action, when contacted immediately after Kilavuka’s remarks.

Kenya Airways currently transports more than 250,000 passengers each month. A strike would put at stake an average of 60 to 70 flights and revenue of around 300 million shillings ($2.5 million) daily, according to Kilavuka.