Kenya Airways (KQ) has announced that it is experiencing flight disruptions due to delays in getting aircraft, which are undergoing scheduled maintenance, back into operations.
According to a statement released by KQ CEO Allan Kilavuka, there has been a global challenge in acquiring some aircraft components, something that he says has been caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.
‘’This has constrained our aircraft availability because we do not have extra aircraft capacity to help alleviate the delays. These challenges are global and affect not only Kenya Airways but all airlines globally. The challenges have been occasioned by the Ukraine war crisis which has significantly crippled the Russian supply chain crucial to global aviation,’’ stated Kilavuka.
Kenya sources 100 percent titanium used on Embraer and 35 percent titanium used on Boeing from Russia. With a limited inventory, airlines have had to look worldwide to find the parts they need.
Shortage of qualified workers in Europe and North America, where most airlines get their components has also contributed to the delays, adding pressure on manufacturers who are looking to ramp up production of aircraft components to overcome delivery delays.
“From the onset, we would like to assure our customers that we are doing everything possible within our control to reduce the impact of these supply chain delays on our operations. We are also proactively anticipating these delays and communicating them as soon as possible,’’ he added.
While apologizing for the inconvenience caused, Kilavuka said that there would be changes in flight schedules with reductions in some frequencies should the supply chain challenges persist.
The national carrier also noted that it is working with partners to find solutions that will prevent future events from occurring.
“To that end, we are currently finalizing a component support program that will help fast-track the securing of components. We are also actively engaging our OEM (original equipment manufacturer) partners to work on mitigation measures which should ensure continuity of our network and operations.’’
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