Kenya Airways has announced flight disruptions as a result of delays in getting its planes which are undergoing scheduled maintenance back into operation.
In a statement on Monday, KQ Managing Director and CEO Allan Kilavuka said the delays have been caused by global challenges in the supply of some aircraft components.
“We wish to inform our customers that we are experiencing some flight disruptions as a result of delays in getting our aircraft, which are undergoing scheduled maintenance, back into operation,” he said.
He said that the national carrier does not have extra aircraft capacity to help alleviate the delays.
“These challenges are global and affect not only Kenya Airways but all airlines globally,” Mr Kilavuka said adding that the challenges have been occasioned by the Ukraine war crisis which has significantly crippled the Russian supply chain crucial to global aviation.
He said the aviation supply chain is highly dependent on raw materials from many countries including Russia.
"For example, 100 per cent of the titanium used on Embraer and 35 per cent of the titanium used on Boeing are sourced from Russia," he said.
“With a limited inventory, airlines have had to look worldwide to find the parts they need. Additionally, in Europe and North America, where most airlines get their components, manufacturers are looking to ramp up the production of aircraft components to overcome delivery delays.
However, that is proving to be difficult because of a shortage of qualified workers. This has exacerbated the delay in supply chains and compromised the availability of components for airlines.
He assured KQ customers that they are working towards reducing the impact of the supply chain delays on the airline’s operations.
He reiterated KQ’s commitment to working with its partners to find a solution that minimizes disruptions.
“We are currently finalising a component support programme that will help fast-track the securing of components. We are also actively engaging our original equipment manufacturer partners to work on mitigation measures which should ensure the continuity of our network and operations,” he said.
He said that should the supply chain challenges persist, Kenya Airways may have changes in its flight schedules with reductions in some frequencies.
