KENYA: Jambojet Looking For Pilots To Fly Bombardier Dash 8 And Boeing 737

Jambojet is seeking new pilots for its fleet, signalling possible expansion plans for the airline even as its parent, Kenya Airways, faces a court case over the mode of employing flight crews.

The budget airline on Friday advertised vacancies for captains and first officers capable of flying the Bombardier Dash 8 and Boeing 737 airplanes; which they use on their Nairobi, Eldoret, Coast and Kisumu routes.

Jambojet, which is a subsidiary of national carrier Kenya Airways, in March sparked a court row with KQ pilots following the carrier’s decision to lease external crew for the low-cost carrier.

The Kenya Airways (KQ) pilots argued that the move could see them lose their jobs.

The High Court in June stopped KQ pilots from going on strike until the human resource dispute is resolved, but the move by Jambojet to begin hiring pilots adds a new twist to the ongoing tussle.

“Jambojet is a low-cost airline that is revolutionsing the way you travel by opening up the skies for all to fly for less,” the carrier, whose fleet consists of two of each of the Dash 8 and Boeing 737 aircraft, said in a notice.

“We are currently recruiting for the following opportunities; captains and first officers B737-300, captains and first officers Dash 8 series.”

However it is not known how many personnel Jambojet is seeking to employ and on which routes they will be deployed.

Jambojet requires that applicants for the Boeing 737 captain position have at least flown for 4,000 hours, while those applying for the top job on the Bombardier plane should have clocked a minimum of 3,000 hours of flight time.

First officers for both planes are required to have flown for at least 500 actual hours among several other qualifications.

The low-cost carrier, which began operation in April 2014, hired the aircraft from Canadian firm DAC Aviation under a wet lease agreement to operate the Coast routes of Malindi, Lamu and Ukunda. This agreement also secured a crew for the duration of the contract.

The Kenya Airlines Pilots Association (Kalpa) filed a suit on behalf of KQ pilots saying the deal was signed illegally and without consultation contrary to normal procedure.

Kalpa argued that the move may render Jambojet pilots redundant, as the airline also plans to use the aircraft in dispute on other routes.

Jambojet CEO Willem Hondius, while launching the Malindi, Lamu and Ukunda flights last March, said the Dash 8 Q400 plane being used on the three routes would later be deployed on the Kisumu and Eldoret routes.

The pilots lobby also wants KQ to extend an agreement for pilots’ working conditions to Jambojet personnel, while the national carrier insists that the lobby should initiate separate talks with the budget airline.