The Kenyan National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) has welcomed a decision on Tuesday by the Employment and Labour Relations Court directing all the striking pilots to resume work by Wednesday morning.

The statement issued by KQ Group Managing Director and CEO Allan Kilavuka comes after the court directed the KQ pilots to resume their work by Tuesday at 6 am.

KQ management thanked the court for the ruling, which may allow the company to resume its normal operations.

“Kenya Airways welcomes the decision by the Employment and Labour Relations Court directing immediate resumption to work by all pilots by 6 am, 9th November 2022,” the statement read.

Allan Kilavuka and Kipchumba Murkomen. PHOTO/TWITTER

“We thank the Court for the expeditious ruling that now allows KQ to resume its normal operations.”

KQ committed to complying with the Court's directions and apologised to their passengers and cargo customers for the inconvenience and disruption as they assured them of a speedy return to normalcy.


The company thanked all members of their staff who continued assisting customers as the other workers downed their tools.

“We would also like to thank all our staff who have worked long hours and tirelessly to assist customers over the last four days. We appreciate their hard work and sacrifice,” KQ said.


Kilavuka acknowledged the company has a demanding time ahead of it before recovery and it will intensify its efforts to restructure, cut costs and increase staff productivity in the bid to recover time, money and reputation soiled.

“The path to recovery will be difficult and will require the airline to re-double its efforts to restructure, lower costs and increase staff productivity as well as recover the time, money and reputation lost,” the statement read.


This comes after Employment and Labour Relations Court Judge Anna Mwaure had directed KQ and KALPA to strike a deal to ends the strike by pilots and submit a report to the court at 2pm on Tuesday as the airline continues to bleed millions due to the biting strike.

The KQ pilots, though their association KALPA, commenced the strike at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Saturday, defying a court order issued last week against the industrial action.