‘Over the three days, the airline cancelled 63 flights and experienced more than 160 flight delays, with average delays exceeding six hours,’ said KQ board chairman Kiprono Kittony.
Its subsidiary, Jambojet, which is the leading domestic air operator, told Business Daily that it lost roughly Sh70 million after cancelling at least 60 flights on Sunday and Monday alone, when the strike was full blown.
‘With high demand in August, most flights were full with about 90 to 97 percent load factor. This is close to 5,000 passengers,’ Jambojet CEO Karanja Ndegwa told Business Daily.
KQ controls about 48 percent of international passenger traffic in Kenya, while Jambojet controls roughly 60 percent of the domestic air travel market. Their losses represent a significant impact on the market.
Other carriers, both local and international, also reported significant disruptions to their operations, as they struggled to clear the backlog of delayed and suspended flights on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
Renegade Air, which operates flights to Wajir, Kisumu, and Homa Bay out of Wilson Airport, also said its operations were brought to a standstill due to the industrial action, costing it millions in revenue loss.
‘We are yet to quantify the revenue loss, but I know it’s a lot. It definitely impacted our connecting customers who were relying on us to get them to Nairobi for connecting international flights,’ said Patrick Oketch, Renegade Air’s commercial director.
The impact went beyond airlines. Fresh produce exporters said they lost $3 million (Sh388.2 million) for each day of the strike, as storage service providers charged up to Sh25 per kilogramme for storage.
Experts have warned that the impact of the strike might go beyond the quantifiable revenue loss, into reputational damage for Kenya as a tourist destination and transit hub, and for Kenya Airways, the country’s flag carrier.
‘The long term impact will be felt for a long time. Kenya Airways already has a bad reputation for reliability among African business travellers and this nightmare will unfortunately encourage most to continue booking away from them,’ argued Sean Mendis, an aviation commentator.
The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (Kawu) had cited unresolved labour issues for the two-day strike, including a stalled collective bargaining agreement (CBA), disputes over union agency fees, and its recognition dispute with Jambojet. The union also raised concerns over workers’ welfare and employment conditions.
The strike affected JKIA and Wilson Airport in Nairobi, Moi International Airport in Mombasa, Eldoret International Airport and Kisumu International Airport. The disruption was particularly severe at JKIA, which serves as Kenya’s main international aviation hub.