@Slatsinop, those figures currently are just that "figures", kqs expansion is tied to a number of variables, a successful IPO to enable the company raise funds, expansion of, JKIA, we all know the bureacracy and ineptitude that is KAA etc.
I tend to agree with VC10 tail, there seem to be a deliberate unwillingness on the part of the company to hire locals, the failure rate at the interview stage is ridiculously high, considering these are people coming with plenty of experience, a while ago it so happened quite a good no. Of ex regional 737 Rated pilots were rejected by the company yet most of them made it to EK, so looks like history is about to repeat itself. Just to stress how kq s disinterested in local talent, three very senior ex kq captains who had left for greener pastures, one a 777 commander at EK, the other a 747 skipper at singapore cargo, and the last a wide body capt. At Saudi were willing to come back on the E jet, at the bottom of the seniority, move that after consultations KALPA okayed since they were kenyans after all, after a few interviews now the company seems disinterested.
The irony of this is those western expats dont even go through the same rigorous process of selection, all they do is produce their ratings and the rest is done for them, why the double standrards i ask, and trust me due to this lack of screening we have seen a few bad ones.
Let not th company tell us about shortages and theres a good no. Of duly qualified FOs waiting to upgrade and an equally good no. Of kenyans out there willing to join the airline, thats why the union is working hard to make sure all kenyans with relevant qualifications are considered first, then expats will eventually be employed, and the union is well aware that eventually we will need expats to augment the no. Of pilots as we expand, but not now, at this point it will only work to stifle the movement of the already qualified, and deny locals jobs