Kenya Airways (KQ) striking pilots risk being sacked by the national carrier, KQ CEO Allan Kilavuka has intimated.
In a press conference on Monday, November 7, Kilavuka stated that if the pilots will not return to work, they will be replaced.
He added that the time for negotiations was over and the airline will not engage in any negotiations with the striking pilots.
"We want them to go back to work before we can talk to the pilots. It’s too late for talks. They either come to work or we replace them," Kilavuka stated.
With the strike entering the third day on Monday after commencement on Saturday, the KQ CEO apologized to the airline's customers who were left stranded for hours.
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Kilavuka termed the strike by the pilots as unlawful but KQ on Monday, however, stated that 25 pilots had already returned to work.
The strike is a major blow to the national carrier which has been recording losses previously and on Friday it stated that the strike could see it lose at least $2.5 million close to (Sh300 million) every day.
Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen on Friday said that he engaged in a meeting with the pilots to listen to their concerns and a committee was formed to engage KQ and the pilots on the issues that brought about the strike.
He, however, said that the pilots did not heed the call to suspend the strike even after agreeing on the same.
"The action taken by the plots considering the economic challenges and the biting drought is akin to economic sabotage," Murkomen stated.
