Kenya Airways pilots returned to work on Wednesday after a court ordered them to end their days-long strike, which had led to hundreds of flight cancellations and stranded thousands of passengers.
The strike, which began on Saturday, exacerbated the troubled national carrier’s woes, which has vowed to “do everything possible to return to normalcy in the shortest time.”
Hours after a Nairobi court ordered the pilots to return to work; the Kenya Airline Pilots Association said its members would “resume duty” by 06:00 am (0300 GMT) on Wednesday — the deadline stipulated by the judge.
The airline and the government have accused the union of engaging in “economic sabotage,” with Kenya Airways warning that the strike would lead to losses estimated at $2.5 million per day.
The airline was founded in 1977 following the demise of East African Airways and flies more than four million passengers to 42 destinations annually.
It has been operating largely thanks to state bailouts following years of losses.
