Kenya Airways (KQ) pilots have suffered a blow as the national carrier has decided to withhold their March salaries. According to the airline, March salaries will only be remitted after the pilots agree to the carrier’s proposed pay cuts.
In the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic, the airline opted to keep paying pilots 70% of their monthly pay, promising to clear the balance when the carrier returns to growth. However, the Kenya Airline Pilots Association (Kalpa), which represents about 414 KQ pilots, wants the airline to remit 95% of the pay.
KQ last year said the pilots account for 10% of the airline’s total workforce, but take home the equivalent of 45% of the overall pay to employees. This means that on average, a KQ pilot costs the company KSh1.3 million.
The slump in travel caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic drove the national carrier into a comprehensive loss of KSh46.2 Billion for the year ended December 2020. This compares to a loss of KSh8.85 Billion for the previous year. During the period, the airline responded to the crisis by grounding fleets, scaling back service and even cut hundreds of jobs.
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