But seriously guys if you understand how airlines work, if you receive 6 planes and your core markets are shrinking (Europe, Africa),you are closing routes in your core markets and load factors are dropping, wouldn't you want to return the planes to the manufacturer or lessor! what are you going to do with the 6 planes? Infact the dreamliner delay is a massive boon for KQ. They would have had little to do with them in the current environment. Drive past JKIA in the mid morning and you will see quite a significant number of idle planes parked, suggesting there is trouble in the markets. At the peak or in normal operating environment at midday you hardly see more than 2 planes parked or being prepped for local flights!

One hidden herring, by the time load factors are tumbling, the pricing game has been played to near threadbare margins. Certainly for KQ to defend a lot of their market share they have had to chop prices to compete. This will show up on the topline. I think KQ will upstage KK in depth of the bottom line. It's been an ugly year for airlines! Pity KQ was not prepared for it!

@sparkly The latter is way way better than the former!!!

@VVS won't say much but for those in the know, KQ BEP load factor varies between 69% - 74% in a normal operating environment (growing markets and traditional fares). There are pockets of destructive fare wars in some African markets, Dubai etc suggesting the BEP load factor is slightly higher. At 66%, me thinks the airline is being forced to frolic with losses by to the environment.

... now, Boeing doubles output to avoid KQ compensation >>> http://www.businessdailyafrica....4/-/14lgke0/-/index.html

shut up my brother. kwani hizo splits zinaandika majina?! only NSE and KQ share register insiders can know