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Jambojet CEO pens apology over December chaos

By MUTHONI MUMO February 22nd, 2017 2 min read

Low-cost airline Jambojet has apologised to customers for the delays suffered over the December holidays, promising that its new aircraft will lead to greater efficiency.

Jambojet chief executive, Mr Willem Hondius, attributed the December disruptions to “unforeseen operational challenges”.

He vowed that the company would work towards eliminating these challenges.

“We are truly sorry that we let you down and deeply regret the frustration and inconvenience this may have caused,” said Mr Hondius in an open letter to customers.

IMPROVE SERVICE

“Based on your feedback, we are adjusting our processes in order to improve our service delivery”.

Thousands of Jambojet customers travelling to destinations at the Coast found themselves stranded over the December holidays amid flight cancellations and delays.

Jambojet, which is owned by Kenya Airways, said that the flight disruptions were caused by technical problems on one its planes.  This was exacerbated by delays in the arrival of additional aircraft to handle the heavy passenger traffic during the holiday season.

Customers headed to the North Coast destinations of Lamu and South Coast destinations of Diani and Ukunda were especially affected.

Some passengers found themselves diverted to the Moi International Airport and were forced to make the rest of their journeys by road.

SLAMMED

Hoteliers facing revenue loss in a peak period for domestic tourism slammed Jambojet for its handling of the situation. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said in a December 30, 2016 letter that it would also look into the matter.

Just before the holiday season, Jambojet had increased flight frequency on all its destinations to take advantage of the travel rush.

Jambojet last month ordered new aircraft to meet rising demand and to avoid a repeat of the December crisis. The airline received a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, replacing an older, less efficient plane on its fleet.

The aircraft is on lease for a year and Jambojet has said that it plans to expand its fleet by one more plane come August 2017. Jambojet operates a fleet of two Q400s and two Boeing 737s.

The budget airline serves six routes— Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, Ukunda, Lamu and Diani. The firm is seeking regulatory approval to fly to Entebbe, Mogadishu, Juba and Dar es Salaam.