ops update: New B787 5YKZE revised touch down time 0715utc (1015LT).

Did my first KQ dreamliner trip, Capt Kariuki and first officer Sharon. Was a little disappointed, I had expected more room but we were packed like sardines in economy (9 abreast) sharing 8 shitholes. The windows were great, large and none of that shutter stuff, just press a button and the glaze changes. There was a light show at some point, with the cabin light changing from red all the way to violet. The entertainment still needs some work in terms of more variety. The biggest problem, and this is a KAA problem is that we had to wait for nearly 20 minutes in the plane after parking at JKIA for the airside bus to take us to arrivals, imagine if two dreamliners landed at the same time and KQ has only two of those buses working because one has been taken out for an oil change.....BTW I suspect the first officer was a KLM employee, is there a pilot shortage or has the transition from 767 to 787 not been managed well saddling us with extra staff costs?

The project mawingu was necessary and unbridled is a word that has been used too loosely in this context.. Let him/her who has eyes, read.. KQ shall make me rich

do u know the fleet number and cabin load factor of ethiopian airlines??
Let me make your work easier.. Here are some cold facts.. Hope this now makes sense to you about why KQ must expand.. Other African airlines though admittedly supported by govt, are ramping up capacity that affect even the core market of Kenya! Imagine having to fly Ethiopian from Kisumu to Mombasa! I'd rather walk all the way..

Placing large orders is easy. Buying planes on credit (with sovereign support) is easy too. Running a profitable airline is not. I prefer a slow but (profitable) growing airline.
KQ was (sadly) ahead of its time coz GoK refused to (start) expand the airport 10 years ago when the orders for the new 787s and 777s were placed.

All that said, I will look at KQ in 2015 after the loss for 2014-15 is announced.

The issue isn't and was not the Fleet Renewal Program but the scale of the expansion. As you rightly ask was it economically justified or an ego trip? After (the scale and breadth) Project Mawingu was announced, the cabin crew [& more important, the pilots] went on the (compensation) warpath. The cost of giving in to the salary (& perks) increases cost KQ momentum and starved it of capital. KQ was forced to cut back on foreign pilots even with a shortfall of local pilots. Ironically, the 3-year 787 delay worked in KQ's favor as more local pilots could enter the system but will these be enough as more planes come in?

Anyway, the bottom-line as an Investor is not whether KQ's strategy was right or wrong but the ROI. For those who bought into Project Mawingu at 14/- ... when will they break even? Then when will they, if ever, recover the Opportunity Cost. Assume an annual 15% return [adjusted for inflation, Beta, Infrastructure T-Bond] which means KQ's shares should be trading at 20-ish by 2015.

The biggest damning action, in my view, was when the Management & Board didn't commit to participate in the Rights Issue. No skin in the game. So neither the Board (as individuals), the Management, the Pilots and the Employees have a significant stake in KQ... Think about it.

Good Luck in 2014. And I might become a Flyer in 2015 if I see green shoots but I will continue to watch the ownership stakes of the key individuals e.g. CEO, CFO, Chairman, etc.

There are only 9 buses...they are adding 3 more probably by end year,as you rightly said it's supposed to be KAA,s job but as usual govt agencies don't care=complacency...

When KAA didn't provide Apron Buses... KQ went out and bought their own. In many other airports, the Airport provides the Apron Buses or Shuttles but not at JKIA by KAA. I hope KQ gets a discount for spending its own cash to provide the buses!

What about the strong $$ vs KES?

I have temporarily disembarked 90%, I suspected that the bottom might not have been tested properly. Keenly watching...