Pilots tell off KQ CEO over salaries claim

Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) now says it has lost faith in Kenya Airways Managing Director Sebastian Mikosz’s ability to turn around the fortunes of the troubled airline.

In a letter seen by Citizen Digital, the association Secretary General Captain Murithi Nyaga says Mikosz has resorted to using the pilots as scapegoats

“Your attempt to paint a picture of underutilized and overpaid pilots is laughable,” Capt. Nyagah says in the letter.

Last week. while appearing before the National Assembly committee on transport, Mikosz indicated that KQ pilots were among the best paid in the region.

This drew the ire of the pilots when they appeared before the same committee.

“It is shameful for a person in your position as the KQ CEO to lie to the Kenyan public,” the letter reads in part.

In his presentation to the committee, the management said that KQ Captain earned on average 11 times more than average employee in other high salary sectors. This they added was 29 per cent more than the private sector average.

“Unfortunately, the pilots’ remuneration is not in line with their productivity,” read the document by the KQ management to the committee.

In their defence, KALPA says had this been the case, the country could not had lost 130 pilots to rivals last year. The pilots also say that they continue to work despite denial of leave and leave bans by KQ.

“It is well clear that you are on a mission to taint the image of pilots in order to win public sympathy from your failure to turn around KQ,” the letter reads.

The strain between KQ management and pilots, sources told Citizen Digital, is said to have been the cause of several delays and cancellations experienced over the weekend by the airline.

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