Why Kenya Airways could soon pay each passenger Sh30,000

david nganga

June 21, 2017 4:01 PM

Passengers using the KQ airline could soon be paid Sh30,000 each following the government's latest proposal.

Kenya Airways and a host of other airlines are in for a hefty compensation fee if a Bill by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) is approved.

The Bill, Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection) Regulation 2017, seeks to have the airlines pay a compensation fee of up to Sh30,000 per passenger for abrupt flight cancellations.

The airlines will be required to give travellers a seven-day notice of cancellation and refund the full ticket price to avoid incurring the heavy penalties.

In the proposal, an airline which cancels a flight less than seven days to the date of travel will have to find an alternative flight besides taking care of travellers’ expenses.

Additionally, an air carrier which provides the option of an alternative flight to passengers whose flights have been cancelled must bear the difference if the alternative is more expensive.

ALSO READ: Urgent message to Kenyans travelling to the US

It, however, has to refund the cost difference if the alternative flight is cheaper and refund full ticket price to travellers who decline the offer for alternative flights.

The rules go on to indicate that airlines must, in case of domestic travel, book alternative flight within six hours from the time of take-off of the cancelled flight

Failure for an airline to announce new estimated take-off time will, in addition to providing the required care, compensate the traveller at the rate Sh3,000 for each hour of delay or up to Sh18,000 per passenger.

Likewise, for international flight delays, the traveller is supposed to remain in the hotel until the new take off time, the cost being borne by the airlines up to 50 SDR units.

With regards to disabled people, airlines which fail to care for the handicapped will be slapped with a penalty at the rate of 200 per cent of ticket price.

david nganga