KQ hires 40 local pilots amid dispute with union

KQ rejected claims of a standoff with Kalpa and said that talks would resume when the trade dispute mechanism is completed. [Standard, File]

Kenya Airways (KQ) has recruited 40 local pilots this year as part of efforts to plug a biting personnel shortage, even as the airline defended its decision to hire foreign pilots on contract.

The hiring comes despite a trade dispute with the pilots’ union which accuses the national carrier of reneging on a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).