Kenya Airways in plane maintenance deal with Lufthansa

A Kenya Airways plane at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. FILE PHOTO | LUCY WANJIRU | NMG    

By BONFACE OTIENO More by this Author

Kenya Airways (KQ) has signed a deal with Lufthansa TechniK AG for the supply of aircraft components for its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners as part of its planes''

maintenance plan.

The agreement, which will run up to 2028, will see the carrier's Dreamliners receive services such as maintenance, repair and overhaul from the Lufthansa Group subsidiary that is headquartered at Hamburg.

Read: Lufthansa appoints South African as new East Africa boss

The pact will also give KQ access to Lufthansa Technik's worldwide parts pool which will enable it to significantly increase the availability of spare parts for the Dreamliner fleet.

Kenya Airways Chief Executive Allan Kilavuka said the deal was signed because the company has returned more of its aeroplanes to the sky post the Covid-19 pandemic, a move that has pushed up demand for their servicing.

“Due to increased demand in air travel, Kenya Airways embarked on a journey of returning to service aircraft that were parked during the pandemic," Mr Kilavuka said.

"This resulted in an increased demand for parts to make aircraft ready for flight. There has been a worldwide shortage of some raw materials negatively affecting some aircraft parts availability.”

He added that the agreement will make KQ less dependent on the current global supply chain situation.

Travellers have been suffering flight cancellations and delays at airports across the globe as a result of staff shortages, with many carriers facing a lack of pilots as well as baggage handlers.

A shortage of plane parts has also been a major concern to airlines globally post Covid-19 pandemic.

The shortfall, players in the industry say, is being exacerbated by the fact that more carriers are flying with the latest-generation turbines which require frequent maintenance.

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As a result, airlines around the world have been forced to ground hundreds of aeroplanes just as they gear up for what stands to be a busy summer travel.

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