EDITORIAL: Deal a positive step

Reports that national carrier Kenya Airways #ticker:KQ and the pilots’ association have struck a deal allowing the hiring of 30 local and foreign direct entry captains to address a biting shortage is a positive development.

What is most admirable about the agreement is that the two main stakeholders, KQ and the Kenya Airline Pilots Association, sat down and reached a compromise deal. It is clear proof that dialogue can go a long way in resolving many of the disputes that continue to plague our labour sector.

The pilots’ lobby also agreed to withdraw a court case it had filed seeking to stop the hiring of expatriate pilots to bridge a deficit that was worsened by the exit of 140 pilots between 2016 and 2017. The new deal will enable the airline to plug the acute shortage of pilots to handle its large fleet of Embraer 190 aircraft. The agreement will see the airline hire local pilots who will be supplemented by a minimal number of expatriate captains on two-year contract terms after which they will be replaced by Kenyans.

The shortage had been cited as being a major factor in slowing down the airline’s revenue generation and expansion plans.