Kenya Airways has announced phased return of 3 Dreamliner aircraft that were grounded due to industry supply chain constraints as well as engine availability.
The first grounded Dreamliner is scheduled to resume operations on July 22, 2025, at 01:34 PM EAT, with the second aircraft set to return to service on September 25, 2025, allowing for a period of adjustment and monitoring after the first resumption.
Finally, the third grounded Dreamliner is planned to be back in operation by December 19, 2025, completing the restoration of the full fleet capacity.
Kenya Airways trouble
Kenya Airways, a SkyTeam member and the flag carrier of Kenya, operates a fleet that includes Boeing 787 Dreamliners, known for their efficiency on long-haul routes.
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However, the airline has faced significant challenges due to the grounding of several Dreamliners, attributed to maintenance issues with GEnx engines and industry-wide supply chain constraints.
As of February 2025, Kenya Airways’ fleet included nine Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, each configured with 30 seats in Premier World and 204 in Economy, totaling 234 seats per aircraft.
The grounding was primarily due to a shortage of spare parts and ongoing engine maintenance woes, made worse by global supply chain disruptions.
CEO’s Message
In a public statement, KQ Group Managing Director & CEO Allan Kivuka stated that safety is the cornerstone of their operations and with the travel demand surging lately, the company is eager to provide passengers with additional capacity and comfort.
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KQ extended their heartfelt thanks to the KQ technical team and all their partners for their unwavering dedication and diligent efforts in getting the aircraft back to service.
Despite the recent challenges, including flight delays, cancellations, and schedule changes, KQ informed their passengers that they are doing everything possible to ensure that these issues are being resolved quickly.
They also admitted that they understand the impact these issues have had on the travel plans, urging them to bear the same problem KQ are facing in having to wait for so long for necessary parts to arrive, keeping planed grounded longer than anticipated.
