(eTN) - East African Safari Air Express, kuorodhesha ndege B5, imesimamisha safari zote za ndege wakati wa ushindani mkali haswa kwenye njia yao ya kwenda Juba, Kusini mwa Sudan, na kupungua kwa trafiki kwa kile kilikuwa mahali pao penye kwenda kwa Lokichoggio, Kaskazini mwa Kenya.

Shirika la ndege, ambalo lilikuwa likitumia vifaa vya zamani vya kizazi cha mapema DC9s kamwe halikuweza kufanikisha nini, kwa mfano, mwenza wao wa zamani na mpinzani wake wa siku ya mwisho Jetlink, ambayo inabadilisha meli zao kuwa ndege za siku za kisasa na gharama kubwa za uendeshaji, haswa kwa kadri mafuta yalivyochomwa, achilia mbali kuimarisha maoni ya soko juu ya kuwa kwenye harakati na sio kusimama bado.

Wiki kadhaa zilizopita meli za DC9 ziliwekwa sawa katika jaribio la mwisho la kusababisha mabadiliko ya kifedha, na ikabadilishwa kwa BAE 146 iliyosajiliwa ya Afrika Kusini. Hiyo pia, hata hivyo, haikuzuia umwagaji damu dhahiri na watendaji wa mzigo mbaya zaidi wanaonekana kuwa na hofu mbali washirika wa ubia kutoka Afrika Kusini. Inaeleweka kuwa wakati waliondoa ndege zao, mchezo wa mwisho ulikaribia haraka kwa EASA na usitishaji wa operesheni mwishowe ulithibitisha hili.

Hasa, njia ya kuelekea Juba katika wiki za hivi karibuni imekuwa ya ushindani mkubwa, baada ya Kenya Airways hatimaye kuingia kwenye fremu na kuanza safari za kila siku kati ya Nairobi na mji mkuu wa Kusini mwa Sudan, na pamoja na Jetlink - wanafanya kazi mara mbili kwa siku, kwa kweli, kwenye ndege zao za kisasa za CRJ200 - watajaribu kuona ushindani mwingine kwa marudio haya yenye faida kubwa. Matumizi ya ndege zao zilizopitwa na wakati, zilizochakaa, na mbali na ndege za kisasa bila shaka ilikuwa moja ya sababu nyingi kwa nini B5 mwishowe ilifanya kazi na kile wengine wanasema ni asilimia 30 ya mzigo, wakati wale wanaotumia ndege mpya hufanya kazi karibu sana na nyumba kamili kwa kila kuondoka.

Kwa hali tofauti, meneja mwandamizi wa Shirika la Ndege la Kenya - sasa amepelekwa kortini na Jetlink pamoja na KQ yenyewe - alitoa maoni wiki iliyopita juu ya B5 kutoenda kufanya kazi, lakini kwa imani potofu inaonekana kuwa imefungia EASA na Jetlink, ambayo kwa kweli haifanyi kazi tu lakini imeongeza tu njia mpya na sasa inakabiliwa na kesi ya korti juu ya udanganyifu. Wakati tunasubiri matokeo ya kesi hii - vyanzo vingine vimeonyesha kuwa KQ inaweza kutaka kumaliza hii nje ya korti kwa sababu ya makosa ya mfanyakazi wao - tasnia ya anga nchini Kenya bila shaka sasa inakabiliwa na kipindi cha kuishi kwa walio na uwezo mkubwa kifedha, wakati Kenya Airways inavuta njia kuu kati ya Nairobi na Mombasa, lakini ya marehemu pia Nairobi hadi Kisumu, na Jetlink na Fly 540.

NINI CHA KUONDOA KATIKA MAKALA HII:

While we await the outcome of this case – some sources have indicated that KQ may wish to settle this out of court in view of the blunder by their employee – the aviation industry in Kenya is undoubtedly now facing a period of survival for the financially fittest, as Kenya Airways slugs it out on the main routes between Nairobi and Mombasa, but of late also Nairobi to Kisumu, with Jetlink and Fly 540.
In particular, the route to Juba has in recent weeks become substantially more competitive, after Kenya Airways finally entered the frame and commenced daily flights between Nairobi and the Southern Sudanese capital, and together with Jetlink – they are operating twice a day, in fact, on their modern CRJ200 jets – will try to see off other competition to this highly-profitable destination.
In a twist of sorts, a senior Kenya Airways manager – now taken to court by Jetlink together with KQ itself – made comments last week about B5 not going to operate, but in a mistaken belief seems to have packaged EASA with Jetlink, which in fact not only operates but has just added new routes and now faces a court case over libel.