National Airline Turnaround Improves

East African Business Week (Kampala)

Cedric Lumiti

6 June 2011

Nairobi, Kenya — Kenya Airways expects to improve the turnaround time of its connection flights across the routes serviced by its Boeing 767 fleet of aircraft.

This follows the achievement of operation efficiencies on the utilisation of the KQ B767s which has been attributed to a sustained focus on improved training as well as improved tools and equipment in key maintenance areas that previously caused delays.

“Kenya Airways B767 fleet schedule reliability versus utilisation improved to 98.3 percent in 2009. In November 2008, KQ B767 schedule reliability stood at 95.5 percent against the worldwide industry fleet average of 98.52 percent,” explained Technical Director Allan Fullilove.

Schedule reliability is a measure used to determine how frequently the aircraft causes unscheduled disruption. The disruption typically includes delays greater than 15 minutes, air turn backs, flight cancellations and diversions.

Mr Fullilove said that in the last one year, the airline had focused on those core issues which have since October 2009 resulted in a notable improvement in the fleet schedule reliability. “As a result, Kenya Airways passengers will have noticed fewer disruptions, more on-time departures and improved professionalism of the Kenya Airways team,” he said adding that compared to experiences of other B767 fleets worldwide, this was a good measure of the maintenance standards and capability of the organisation.

The delays cost the carrier millions of shillings in wasted fuel and Denied Boarding Compensation and hotel accommodation costs while disruptions on customers’ travel plans affected KQ’s time performance and integrity schedule. “Kenya Airways passengers will now benefit from added confidence of timely and less disrupted travel plans.

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