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With a target of training 60 cabin crew members, KQ has
already commenced training for 30 personnel, with specialised trainers deployed
for the task.
To facilitate this transition, KQ intends to shift the terms
of the lease from wet to damp, accommodating the necessary personnel
adjustments.
In a damp lease arrangement, the lessor provides the
aircraft, flight crew, and maintenance, while the lessee assumes responsibility
for cabin crew provision, a model sometimes referred to as a moist lease.
Language barriers and divergent customer service approaches
within the cabin have led to service disruptions, prompting KQ's decision to
take proactive measures.
"The differing customer approach and language barriers
necessitate our direct intervention through crew training," remarked a KQ
spokesperson regarding the initiative.
Business Day Africa has also established that customer
dissatisfaction also, particularly in the premium class, has prompted KQ to
consider aircraft replacement.
Business class travelers have voiced concerns about seat
functionality, citing issues with reclining mechanisms impeding comfort during
flights.
Despite primarily operating Boeing and Embraer aircraft, KQ
acknowledges the need for Airbus standards training due to its recent lease of
an A330 aircraft.
The A330, leased to bolster capacity during peak seasons
last December, will continue in service as KQ's Boeing 787 remains grounded due
to spare part unavailability.
KQ entered a short-term wet lease agreement with Hi Fly, a
prominent lease and charter specialist airline, to mitigate operational
disruptions caused by spare part shortages.
Under the ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance)
lease structure, the lessor provides the aircraft and crew, ensuring continuity
of operations.
The Airbus A330 offers seating for 299 passengers, including
24 in business class and 275 in economy class.