Summary

  • Kenya Airways has faced flight disruptions due to two Boeing 787 Dreamliners being grounded for engine issues.
  • The equipment issues and flight crew unavailability have caused disruptions and delays for customers.
  • The resumption of normal operations is expected by May 21 after necessary engine installations.

Kenya Airways has experienced disruptions to its passenger operations as two of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners have been grounded due to engine issues. However, the carrier expects normal operations to resume today, May 21.

Flight schedule disruptions

On May 19, 2024, Kenya Airways announced that it was experiencing disruptions to its flight schedules. The disruptions were mainly caused by the unscheduled and extended grounding of two Boeing 787-8s due to delayed engine and engine components delivery. As a result, the Nairobi-based carrier experienced “abnormally high levels” of delays.

Kenya Airways Boeing 787 landing

Photo: Nieuwland Photography | Shutterstock

In addition to the grounding of the widebodies, Kenya Airways’ flight disruptions have been impacted by the unavailability of its flight crew on certain regional routes. Consequently, the airline was forced to readjust its network and schedules by downgrading some flights to minimize the disruption. Part of Kenya Airways’ statement read,

“We sincerely apologize to the customers who have been inconvenienced with these delays. We want to reiterate that your safety and well-being, as well as that of our crew, is our utmost priority. We are doing everything in our power to resolve this situation as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

The airline expects its network to normalize by Tuesday, May 21, once it has received and installed the necessary engines and components. Kenya Airways advises affected passengers to contact its customer excellence team for further assistance.

Related

Rolls-Royce Engine Issue Grounds Air Tanzania Boeing 787 Dreamliner For 7 Months In Malaysia

Air Tanzania’s 787 operated its last commercial flight nine months ago.

Kenya Airways’ 787 Dreamliner fleet

This is not the first time in recent months that Kenya Airways’ flights have been disrupted due to equipment issues. Last December, the airline warned of significant disruptions as it struggled to find spare parts for its aircraft during the busy festive period. Last month, the airline and its passengers were also affected by the flooding in Nairobi, a situation beyond the airline’s control.

Kenya Airways Boeing 787 Come Live The Magic livery
Photo: Abdul N Quraishi – Abs | Shutterstock

According to ch-aviation, Kenya Airways has a fleet of nine Boeing 787-8s powered by GEnx-1B70 engines. As of May 2024, the airline deploys the widebodies from its hub at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) to ten international destinations, including New York JFK, London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, and Johannesburg OR Tambo.

Ch-aviation shows one of the Dreamliners, registration 5Y-KZE, as inactive and undergoing maintenance. According to Flightradar24, the nine-year-old aircraft operated its last flight on February 4, 2024, flying from Amsterdam to Nairobi. The other grounded aircraft appears to be 5Y-KZB. Flightradr24 shows that its last flight was from New York to Nairobi on May 11. The other seven Dreamliners remain in active service. Kenya Airways also wet leases an Airbus A330 for additional widebody capacity.

Resumption of flights to Kinshasa

On May 8, Kenya Airways resumed flights to Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Flights had been suspended since April 30 after two employees were unlawfully detained by the Military Intelligence Unit in Kinshasa. The crew’s detention made it difficult for the airline to support its operations in the Central African country.

Kenya Airways Embraer E190

Photo: Markus Mainka I Shutterstock

The staff members were allegedly missing customs documentation on valuable cargo meant to be transported on a Kenya Airways flight. However, the airline says it did not accept or transport the cargo as it was, in fact, not on the airside for transportation. Nonetheless, the crew was eventually released, and the airline returned to Kinshasa as the necessary ground support was now in place. The airline deploys its Embraer 190, Boeing 737, and leased A380 between Nairobi and Kinshasa.

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