NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 28 – Kenya Airways (KQ) has issued a profit warning for the year ending December 31, 2025, projecting that its earnings will drop by at least 25 percent compared to 2024, as grounded aircraft and acute shortages of engine parts continue to strain operations.
The airline, in a notice to investors, announced that the drop is driven by “unavailability of engine parts that have grounded planes and aircraft shortages.”
KQ said the grounding of three of its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, representing about a third of its wide-body fleet, will substantially reduce capacity and passenger numbers, undermining performance.
“Although the aviation industry is in a steady recovery, supported by strong passenger demand, particularly on international routes, the sector has faced notable headwinds, including engine availability challenges, persistent spare parts global supply chain constraints as well as aircraft shortages in the market,” read the notice in part.
“As a result, Kenya Airways has grounded three Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, which constitutes 33% of its wide body fleet. This has significantly impacted the Airline’s performance due to reduction in capacity and drop in passenger numbers.”
KQ’s long-haul operations have been heavily disrupted by the grounding of three of its nine Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, roughly a third of its wide-body fleet.
The grounding stems from a global shortage of spare parts, particularly engine components, and maintenance delays driven by stretched supply chains. This reduced fleet has restricted KQ’s ability to operate long-haul routes, affecting several of its key international destinations and weakening overall network connectivity.
Operational pressures from the reduced fleet have already filtered into the airline’s financial performance. For the six months ending June 30, 2025, its total revenue fell by about 19 percent, driven by a 14 percent drop in passenger numbers and a 16 percent decline in available seat capacity.
