Update 1:
Almost all the visits to this post are coming from people Googling “KQ507”. Please read my follow up post on Kenya Airways and safety in the African sky. You may also want to read a round up of what Kenyan bloggers have been saying about this tragedy and keep an eye on the KenyaUnlimited aggregator for the latest thoughts from Kenyan bloggers.
Following the disappearance of Kenyan Airways flight KQ507 that has gone missing after losing communication with the control tower shortly after takeoff on Friday night from Douala, Cameroon, Kenya Airways has set up crisis desks at the Panari Sky Center and at the Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi.
Kenya Airways have also set up the following emergency crisis number to their “emergency centre”: +27 11 20 71 100 (South African number).
Why don’t KQ set up a local number and route calls through to the South African centre? Making people in KENYA dial an international number to find out information about a missing KENYAN flight is just not on.
Why is the KQ “emergency centre” in South Africa anyway? The Pride of Africa has some work to do in handling situations such as these.
And why aren’t the people who answer the JKIA information lines (0722205061) ever polite, instead of transferring you mid sentence to another person?
Pamoja Tuangamize Ukimwi
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May 5, 2007 at 12:36 pm
KIP
“”"”"”"”"………………..And why aren’t the people who answer the JKIA information lines (0722205061) ever polite, instead of transferring you mid sentence to another person……”"”
IDIOTS LIKE YOU MAKE ME PISSED OFF .. yaani shit has gone down and your lame ass online is complainng awreaddy ????????? why do people jifanya as if they know it all ????????
ati now you queston why sijui Help center is in SA…. my guy … there must a good reason …. not just for the heck of it.. FOOL
May 5, 2007 at 12:39 pm
KIP
kenyan crisis NO was given and that SA deal is for internationa callers purely cuz of of traffic and incoming calls logisistics
you wannabe bright peeps irritate ..yet you aint know shhittt other than sitting behind a computer and thinking you the main mutha.
May 5, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Mentalacrobatics
KIP, the stupidity in your comments is amazing. Engage your brain before you come here with an ill thought out rant.
Firstly, I called JKIA information 3 times this morning. NONE of the staff I talked to gave me a local number to call. The ONLY number that the JKIA information desk gave us was the SOUTH AFRICAN number. Now you may have access to a local number but if the JKIA information staff do not give it out how the hell are the rest of us meant to know it?
Secondly, any idiot can tell you that in times like this, i.e. in TIMES OF CRISIS the staff handling your information lines should be 10 times more polite and 10 times more understanding than on a normal day. For crying out loud that is NOT rocket science. The staff handling those lines should not just pass your from one person to another. We MUST demand professionalism from our companies.
Thirdly, I am even being told by KQ people that they are not very pleased with the way JKIA staff are handling the calls to the information line, so clearly I am not alone in this.
Fourthly, take your ill thought out, illogical, idiotic rants elsewhere unless you have something useful to add to this debate. Coming here ranting in your silly Ebonics just exposes you to be the silly muppet that you are.
May 5, 2007 at 2:12 pm
KIP
we have seen enuff of your types peeps who think they know it all yet they are stuck in some 3 rated office with a little computer trying to show how much they know it all
demanding proffesionalism is does not mean jumping to conclusios mr know it all … get that .. you need some more sense pumped into your head cuz clearly you over rate yourself and your limited abilites…
move on fool and realise that just becuase you were not aware of KENYAN help line does not mean it did not exist …
NEXT..
May 5, 2007 at 2:19 pm
inexes
Guys, why we bickering at a time like this? Its very sad what has happened and as a frequent flyer am really shaken.
I thought the airline has set up crisis telephone numbers +254 20 3200535/4, +254 20 3274349 in Nairobi (and +27 11 2071100 in South Africa.) for anyone who needs information. Am sure the numbers of call are very high & thus no time for niceities.
Take it easy
May 5, 2007 at 2:24 pm
KIP
inexes
my point exactly … the lines were out there…. both for the kenyan help desk and an SA help desk .. now some dude some where who thinks he knows it all rushes to his desktop and start complaining about it am like WTF ? and yeah no time for niceties ..probably this dude was up for small talk …
nways its all good ..peace @ metal ..
May 5, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Mentalacrobatics
Inexes thanks for your comment.
What I can tell you is that early this morning JKIA information staff were not giving out those or any other local numbers.
What pissed me off here was KIP running in ranting like he knows what the situation was this morning when many of us were trying to find out information. anyway i am sure KIP has his own reasons for creating insensitive drama about this.
May 5, 2007 at 2:45 pm
KIP
metal .. no reason my friend.. . its just cuz you were quick to point out that there was no kenyan helpline. YET there was one .sure I dont know what the situation was this morning BUT i know it was definately chaotic ( Went through that with KQ in 2000 in the abdijan crash cuz a first cousin was on board )someone of your stature to complain without cause. is clearly out of line becuase KQ is one of the few companies that have really tried and gone and extra mile when it come to CS …peace lakini…
May 5, 2007 at 3:00 pm
bankelele
I have dealt with KQ staff though a diffiult travel arrangement this week. They were courteous & helpful even when it was clearly my fault. As for the international line, it’s probably because most of the passengers were foreigners (transiting though Kenya) as teh breakdown of nationalities has shown.
May 5, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Mentalacrobatics
Please note there is a difference between KQ staff and JKIA staff.
Please also note that this morning we were not given an local number or an option of a local number yet we are in Kenya and told them so.
Also remember that while the passangers were foreign the staff on the plane were all Kenyan.
May 5, 2007 at 8:44 pm
JKE
My condolences to those who have lost family & friends.
I am not in the position to judge on KQs handling of this emergency, but I think we can all be happy that KQ doesn’t depend on Kenya’s infamous emergency response as witnessed with other institutions in the past (see recent floodings in different regions of the country).
Is there any master plan on such situations?
May 8, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Shreekesh
Hey guys, we lost a member of our family on this flight. All I can say is that Kenya Airways have a WORLD CLASS crisis management team in place. Yesterday, they held the 12.30 pm flight to Douala for us while I was battling lunch hour traffic from Parklands to JKIA trying to rush my cousin (husband to the lady on the flight) to the airport. Whilst driving I was on my mobile to the KQ duty manager, Ms Maundu, who waited at Unit 2 for half an hour for us. The counters were closed, we got to the terminal at 12.15 and my cousin was rushed through immigration (with his luggage!), taken to the departure gate and led to the aircraft. At their Crisis Management Centre, the staff were not only extremely helpful but also sympathetic, sensitive and compassionate. I can tell you I am proud to be Kenyan!
May 9, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Beryl
I personally feel deeply very sorry for those who lost their beloved relatives and friends, I would only tell them that they are not alone in this very difficult time.
May their souls rest in eternal peace.