The ratio of workforce engaged under permanent terms by national carrier Kenya Airways rose to 82.9 percent during the year ended last December, from 72.3 percent in 2023, in a period the airline bounced back into profitability after more than a decade of losses.
KQ, as the carrier is known by its international code, also reported in its latest sustainability report that it recorded an eight percent jump in its headcount, bringing the total staff size to 4,705 people by the end of last December.
“The proportion of permanent employees increased to 82.9 percent, up from 72.3 percent in 2023, demonstrating Kenya Airways’ focus on job stability and long-term career development,” wrote KQ in the report.
“72 percent of Kenya Airways’ workforce is in the 30-50 age group, offering a balance of experience and innovation within operations.”
The airline also reported that the proportion of female staffers grew by two percentage points to 44 percent during the review period, up from 42 percent in 2023.
The report, however, notes that despite the positive trends in gender parity, women’s salary proportion dropped to 30 percent in 2024 down from 31 percent in 2023, despite a 37 percent increase in permanent employment for the female workforce.
KQ resumed new hirings in 2022 in a bid to restore the jobs it had cut down during the Covid-19 crisis when the grounding of planes forced the carrier into retrenchment and hiring freeze, and has sustained the trend amid increased frequency of flights and more passenger numbers as normalcy returns across the globe.
The airline had in 2020 – at the peak of the Covid-19 economic disruptions including lockdowns and international border closures – lost 954 workers through retrenchment and resignations, followed by another 105 in 2021.
KQ posted an all-time high net profit of Sh5.4 billion for 2024, marking a turnaround from a Sh22.6 billion loss in 2023, and booking its first full-year profit in 12 years.
A key driver of the airline’s improved performance last year was foreign exchange gains of Sh10.55 billion, compared to a Sh15.04 billion loss in 2023, as the local currency strengthened by more than 20 percent against the dollar in 2024.
The stronger shilling also aided KQ in saving Sh1.2 billion on its foreign currency-denominated liabilities.
