Kenya Airways May Cut Flights Over Component Supply Challenges
Kenya Airways cabin crew members (R), waive flags as they usher passengers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), after the official launch on resumption of local flights in Nairobi, on July 15, 2020. 
Muhammad OsmanOne of Africa’s biggest airlines has been facing challenges since the start of the COVID pandemic in 2019. Earlier, the East African country’s president said that Kenya was ready to sell its entire 48.9% stake in the loss-making airline, which defaulted on its loans in 2022.Kenya Airways may cut some of its flights due to a lack of spare parts, company CEO Allan Kilavuka has said. Kilavuka cited problems with the Russian supply chain, which he claimed was “significantly crippled” by the Ukraine crisis.“We wish to inform our customers that we are experiencing some flight disruptions,” Kilavuka said. “These are as a result of delays in getting our aircraft, which are undergoing scheduled maintenance, back into operations due to global challenges with the supply of some aircraft components.”The airline manager noted that the global aviation supply chain is “highly” dependent on raw materials. According to Kilavuka, 100% titanium used on Embraer aircraft and 35% titanium used on Boeing aircraft are sourced from Russia.After the beginning of its special operation in Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has been targeted with a wave of western sanctions that led to a decline in Russia’s exports in some economic sectors.Kenya Airways, which is among the biggest airlines on the African continent, plays a key role in connecting African travelers to the world and vice-versa through its hub in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. The airline’s fleet consists of planes manufactured by US multinational company Boeing and Brazilian multinational company Embraer.Although Kenya Airways is a private corporation, the Kenyan government owns a 48.9% stake in the company. In December 2022, President William Ruto said that the government was ready to sell its entire stake in the loss-making airline, which defaulted on $841.6 million of loans in 2022, forcing its stockholders to take up their obligations.
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