KQ Jobs

[Foxcotte]

Have heard a very faint rumor that KQ may have finally sorted out their substantial union problems, and MAY (repeat MAY) now be thinking of recruiting again. The rumor has it that they might be able to get past the throttling seniority/ranking issue to employ rated pilots ahead of the queue. If so how does that stand with the Kenyan only employment issue.

Has anyone else got any news on this or more information. Would be very interested to hear....

[kichwa tembo]

hi fox.

first of all it was not a union problem. the company's outdated recruitment policy was the problem. the union has for a long time been pushing for them to be changed but the HR office is a tough nut to crack.

things have now changed , however. the MD is faced with a tricky situation where he can't expand the network 'coz he doesn't have enough crew. this led to him forming a panel which includes both management and union officials to come up with a new hiring policy for pilots. they haven't released one yet , but i think it's safe to assume that it will be more favourable to the more experienced pilots out there.

About seniority, i doubt very much that any new hires will " jump the queue" . i don't think we'll hire DECs so the new FO's will join from the bottom of the list. the only guys who may ( repeat MAY) not are the flamigo guys. since they merged with kq mainline the same panel was tasked with coming up with a way to assimilate them into the "system"

as for the kenyan issue, the union has a policy of kenyanization which still stands. hiring of expatriates will be a last resort.

spoke to one of the officials and he told me that he would like to see experienced guys pass their CV's to the KALPA office so that they can know who's out there andhave the statistics to allow the panel make a more informaed decision.

we wait with baited breath.

[Foxcotte]

Thanks for the informed reply - some good information there.

On a side note - guess there might be a few EA Safari Air guys looking for new pastures based on this evenings news about their collapse.

If commonsense was prevalent in job recruitment, not egos, issues and politics we'd all be a lot better off!!

[planecrazi]

Hi Guys,
From what I have just read in the last post, does this mean the B767 (I think 5Y-KKK) is no longer flying around with the Duma call-sign? Is this what you are refering to?
We have seen it often around Milan and other places, orange tail and cheetah head.
Was this Safari?:confused:

I read further afterwards and am now able to answer my own question.
Thanks Foxcotte.
What a pity for the closure!!!:(

[perceval]

get real , backwater airline being the 1st in africa to operate 777 ???
What is wrong with a national airline favorising their own people in the first place ?
That's a fairly traditional approach ?....
I think .
If there is enough nationals to crew the planes why look elsewhere .I don't think ther is many foreigners working with AF , Qantas , BA , Lufthansa ...
Why Would KQ be different ?
Talking of colonialist approach ??
Are you missing the 'good ol' days or what ?
I surely don't , live and learn.by the way the date is 8th september 2004 .We won the war against people like you on the 8th may 1945 .Go and hide in paraguay !!!

[Spydee]

DF,

I don't think KQ is a backwater airline just because it doesn't hire expats. Indeed KQ are quite right to fill the vacant pilot positions with qualified Kenyans first, before they go the expat route.

The evidence so far is that they are numerous Kenyans with the requisite flying experience that have been denied a chance to fly for KQ because of their (KQ's) Personnel's anal academic requirements that very few expat pilots would meet in any event.

Once KQ comes to terms with market realities and exhausts qualified Kenyans then by all means hire qualified expats.

Overloading as we have seen in other posts is not unique to KQ and certainly not limited to African airlines. As regards the Abdijan accident this was KQ's first hull loss in over 20yrs of safe flying, a figure quite compareable to other leading airlines notwithstanding the actual cause.

You seem to impute that for an airline to be world class as opposed to backwater then it must have expats? This seems to be a racist arguement. I don't think KQ really cares the colour of your skin as long as you hold Kenyan nationality. Indeed there are White and Asian Kenyans serving in KQ as pilots.

As regards DCA and Nyayo house issuance of work permits, we all know who the biggest beneficiaries are, the expats who had infiltrated and corrupted these two institutions.

[Spydee]

DF,

I am sorry to hear that you can't get citizenship after 17yrs residence in Kenya. That's very strange as I know lots of people who have acquired Kenyan papers after just about 5yrs residency. Perhaps you should enslist the services of a reputable lawyer in this regard. I have to agree with you that in the previous regime Kenya was a free for all. If you had the money you could acquire just about anything hence my observation that some government arms had become used to easy money. Mainly from people from the sub continent and a few southern european countries that desparately needed Kenyan papers for whatever reasons. In the corruption business it takes two to tango.

If you notice from my previous post I am not against expats at all. I have suggested that KQ hires all the competent available Kenyans first become they go the expat route. Is this too much to ask? I however know quite a number of KQ pilots that are very professional and resent the way you rubbish them all as muppets.

Sorry didnt mean to patronise you!

On a different note KQ has finally come off its high horse and is taking applications for 737,767 FO's ads in today's "Daily Nation" and the "Standard" newspapers. This time round the requirements are realistic thus:

1. FIRST OFFICER, BOEING 737 AND 767
To strategically embrace this growth and to continue strengthening our Human Resource Base we seek to fill the position of First Officer, Boeing 737 and 767.

We therfore invite applications from qualified Kenyan pilots with jet experience preferably in the B737, B767 or any other jet aircraft type.

Role Requirements.
- Total flying hours and the total hours on aircraft type.
- Copies of flying license indicating aircraft types endorsed.
- Certified copies of last 2 pages of log book.
- Copies ofacademic certificates "O"level and above.

That's it folks and good luck!

[kq777]

Dungfennel - You must have a huge chip on your shoulder about your expirience in Kenya. Go have a rant elsewhere(Jetblast forum perhaps)

Its alright to have expats, but I dont think KQ will need them for a long time. Lots of Kenyan boys & girls available to fill the spots

[kichwa tembo]

enough has been said on this i think. i can only say that DF. i think you have misdirected your frustrations. if not i don't think this is a healthy way to "fish".

cheers fox i hope you have the info you need.

[sheii]

to Dungfunnel...... by the way its not only Kq who consider kenyas b4 expats ...and this is from experience just applied for BA and got a letter saying i need to be a resident in the uk...well i dont know how they know am not even though i havent informed them my status here...was informed by a friend that its there tradition to employ there own....... so kq have not committed any crime in having this policy.......