KQ faulted for operating flights using crew who are supposed to be on quarantine

Kenya Airways plane. PHOTO| COURTESY The Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) has now faulted the Kenya Airways (KQ) management over the health and well-being of their flight crew amid the coronavirus crisis.

KALPA, in a statement released on Tuesday, said the airline’s crew is being used to operate flights despite the fact that they’re supposed to be under mandatory quarantine in government-assigned facilities.

According to the association, this action exposes other staff members and passengers as well as the various cities and countries the flights operate to.

“In as much as it is argued that the crew are not symptomatic, it is a fact that their status is unknown, thus raising a serious health risk and breach in medical protocol,” said KALPA Secretary General Murithi Nyagah in a statement released Tuesday.

“It is extremely reckless and irresponsible for the airline to assign flight duties to crew who are in self-quarantine without knowing their status.”

He further added: “Considering that KQ is still operating flights to cities in Europe and USA some of which have been declared as the new epicenters of Covid-19, the airline’s actions are indeed putting our colleagues and the general public at risk.”

Mr. Nyagah also noted that it had come to their attention that accompanying engineers are not proceeding with their respective crew to quarantine facilities upon arrival of flights.

KALPA now wants the KQ management to cease utilizing crew who are on mandatory quarantine as well as test all crew who have operated flights – local and international – in the last three weeks.

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