KQ Saves Big by Completing In-House D-Check

Kenya Airways (KQ) has successfully completed its first in-house D-check on two of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners, marking a significant milestone for the airline's engineering and maintenance capabilities. The D-check process involves stripping down major sections of the aircraft for detailed structural inspections, system checks, component replacement, and modifications.

The work was carried out at KQ's Nairobi base, with a team of 42 engineers from different technical sections working on each aircraft over a period of 33 working days. The total cost of outsourcing this work to an external Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) provider would have been between $4 million and $8 million, equivalent to about Ksh518 million to Ksh1.04 billion at current exchange rates.

KQ's Boeing 787 fleet consists of nine aircraft, with two already having undergone the D-check process. A third Dreamliner is currently undergoing a D-check alongside a landing gear change, and is expected to return to service on September 28, 2026. The airline expects to retain up to Ksh1 billion in savings by carrying out this work in-house.