Kenya Airways to lay off significant number of staff

Kenya Airways will lay off a significant amount of staff by the end of September.  Image: Kenya Airways

The airline will also reduce its network and assets until it is able to begin scaling up operations.

The airline’s chief executive, Allan Kilavuka, told staff: "A decision has been reached to carry out an organisation-wide rightsizing exercise which will result in a reduction of our network, our assets and our staff. Effectively, we have commenced a phased staff rationalisation process, which we expect to conclude by September 30 2020.”

He added: “Our short and medium-term projections indicate that we must inevitably reduce our operations before we begin to scale up again,”

Kenya Airways pilots and staff have already taken pay cuts after governments restricted flying.  Pilots are now offering to take unpaid leave in the hope to secure jobs.

African carriers expect to lose $6 billion this year in revenue due to the pandemic. Kenya Airways itself has lost at least $100 million in sales so far this year.