Boeing 787 Grounding Update

Good news for the Boeing 787, and specifically units grounded at Kenya Airways, will slowly return to service.

Allan Kilavuka, acting as the Managing Director and CEO of the Kenyan carrier, confirmed through reporting via the Star that the airline will slowly see the jets recommence scheduled passenger flying.

For Kenya Airways, the ability to return the Dreamliners to service marks the beginning of the end of the colossal challenges across the business in meeting demand and offering capacity, which have been ongoing since the end of 2024.

Kenya Airways will see the return of the first unit grounded in the next week, a massive boost for a company that has been struggling in recent times due to these groundings.

Data shows that 5Y-KZA, the first 787 delivered to the airline and named ‘The Great Rift Valley,’ has been parked in Nairobi. Meanwhile, 5Y-KZC and 5Y-KZH have also been parked as part of ongoing maintenance challenges.

Only in early July, the carrier said that its revenues across the financial year would be lower than expected, driven by the groundings and representing an adjusted forecast from earlier in 2025 when the situation was not as clear.

With one 787 returning in the coming weeks, the remaining two units are expected to resume operations by the end of the year, with one in September and one in December, permitting no further delays.

The last 6+ months have been a challenge unlike any other for Kenya Airways. The 787 is crucial to their long-haul operations and ability to act as a global carrier. Without it, flights have been delayed and cancelled.

As a result, intense pressure has been felt across the business, from employees at airports to those in upper management attempting to find ways to mitigate customer frustrations and reroute passengers.

What Happened With The 787s?

The Kenya Airways Boeing 787s have been grounded due to ongoing maintenance issues affecting the industry, specifically concerning engines.

The carrier stated in April that securing the necessary spare engines would allow the aircraft to return to service; however, it was also essential to see the existing engines attached to the plane receive their required maintenance.

Unfortunately, the 787 has been one of the most affected airlines by the ongoing global supply chain crisis, which has affected engines, with Rolls-Royce front and centre.

Kenya Airways is not the only airline customer affected by maintenance delays and shortages of spare parts to ensure engines can be re-applied to fleets worldwide.

Vietnam Airlines in the last 12 months also said maintenance periods have been blown out of proportion. For example, engines that were meant to be sent away for 90 days were kept away for over 120 days.

Even in the United Kingdom, British Airways has, over the last handful of years, been forced to make changes to its 787 operations to manage engine reliability concerns, the same as felt at Air New Zealand.