NAIROBI- Flag carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) on May 19, 2024, announced that it is facing flight disruption due to the grounding of two Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
A statement from the airline’s Communications Office indicated that the flight disruptions, resulting in unusually high levels of delays, have also been affected by the unavailability of flight crew for some regional flights.
Kenya Airways Boeing 787 Grounded
Kenya Airways in a press release reported that:
‘We would like to inform our customers that we are currently experiencing disruptions in our flight schedules, resulting in unusually high levels of delays. The primary cause of these disruptions is the unexpected and extended grounding of two of our 787 Dreamliners due to delayed delivery of engines and engine components. Additionally, the unavailability of the flight crew for some regional flights has further impacted our flight operations.’
According to planespotters.net, Kenya Airways operates a fleet of nine 787-8 aircraft. Two of them that are currently grounded due to engine and its component related issues are:
- 5Y-KZE which is named as Serengeti Plains is a 9.8-year-old aircraft.
- While 5Y-KZB named as The Zambezi River is 10-year-old Dreamliner.
Kenya Airways flies its Boeing 787 from Nairobi (NBO) to New York (JFK), Paris (CDG), Amsterdam (AMS), London (LHR), Johannesburg (JNB), Bangkok (BKK), Guangzhou (CAN), Entebbe (EBB), and some other routes.
Similar Situation with Air Tanzania
Earlier this month we reported that Air Tanzania Boeing 787 is grounded in Malaysia for almost 7 months due to issues with Rolls Royce Engines.
However, Kenya Airways 787 is powered by GEnX engines.
Commenting on media reports surrounding the grounded Air Tanzania aircraft, Mr. Matindi highlighted concerns regarding the design of Rolls-Royce engines. “There appears to be a design flaw with Rolls-Royce engines, warranting further investigation into the matter,” he remarked.
As per insights from the Aviation Nuggets website, these engines, specifically identified as Trent 1000 Package C, have encountered persistent challenges attributed to fatigue induced by corrosion.
This corrosion has subsequently led to the emergence of cracks in the mid-pressure turbine spools. Such deficiencies present considerable risks of engine malfunction.
“The necessity for heightened inspection rates has reduced inspection intervals from 200 flights to 80 flights. Consequently, this increase in inspections amplifies maintenance costs and reduces aircraft availability,” emphasized the website and is flagged by The Citizen.
Currently, Air Tanzania’s fleet of 14 aircraft includes two Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
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