KENYA AIRWAYS STICKS TO DREAMLINER – FOR NOW
Kenya Airways, aka The Pride of Africa, has downplayed the current hullabaloo about Boeing’s B787 Dreamliner, of which the airline has 9 such aircraft on firm order, plus an additional 4 on purchase options.
A statement from the airline, while expressing concern over the current spate of mishaps plaguing the revolutionary new aircraft made largely from composite materials and featuring an entirely new range of electronics and controls, points to the ongoing review of the aircraft by the FAA. The US aviation regulator has taken the lead, but is fully supported by Boeing, to get to the bottom of the current problems with the B7878 and has urged the public to wait for the outcome of the investigation into each and every case of fuel leaks, battery malfunctions and engine problems recorded over the past weeks before jumping to premature conclusions.
This reaction is in line with KQ’s past stand on the aircraft, which entered service years later than initially expected, causing a range of problems for customers in need to replace ageing B767’s or planning for fleet and network expansion. Here too Kenya Airways stuck to Boeing and decided to rather wait for the aircraft to become available than opt for other currently available aircraft types. The first of the 9 Dreamliners is due by the end of the first quarter of 2014 with the remaining deliveries spread up to 2016, according to information previously confirmed by the airline. Watch this space for regular and breaking news from East Africa’s aviation scene.
