Jambojet Delays: Just Give me Booze!
Hold on to your boarding passes and buckle up, because we’re about to take a hilarious journey into the realm of Jambojet flight delays. on the 8th of March earlier this year, the renowned activist Boniface Mwangi had a heartfelt plan in mind. He wanted to fly from Nairobi to Mombasa to pleasantly surprise his wife, who happened to be in Mombasa for work. With anticipation in his heart, Boniface booked and eagerly awaited his Jambojet flight, scheduled for departure at 5:30 pm. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the flight experienced a delay and eventually took off at 7:00 pm.
The flight delay impeded his well-intentioned plan, leaving him worried about the success of his surprise. Finally, when he arrived at his wife’s hotel, it was already past 9 pm, and weariness had overtaken her, sending her into a deep slumber. Regrettably, despite his best intentions and the unexpected obstacles he faced, Boniface’s plans to surprise his wife with a delightful dinner were dashed by the delayed departure and the lateness of the hour. His wrath befell Jambojet on Twitter.
Picture this: passengers eagerly waiting at the gate, excitement and anticipation filling the air. The departure time comes and goes, and still, the plane remains grounded. As time drags on, the passengers’ patience begins to wane. Eyes roll, and the once-friendly conversations turn into comedic expressions of frustration as the overhead announcements go “Ladies and gentlemen, we regret to inform you that our flight has been delayed due to technical difficulties with our time machine…uh, we mean aircraft.” Fingers tap and Twitter gets awash with memes and complaints.
On the 2nd of April this year, I had the opportunity to board Jambojet flight JM8720 from Nairobi to Mombasa. The original departure time for the flight was set for 4:05 pm. However, much to my dismay, the flight experienced a significant delay and eventually departed from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) at 8:20 pm. That’s four and a half hours munching on a bizarre assortment of overpriced snacks and lukewarm coffee at the tuck shops. I longed for cheap liquor to wallow in the long hours on the waiting benches.
These experiences have contributed to the widespread belief that Jambojet has gained notoriety for its frequent flight delays. The lingering question emerges: Is Jambojet truly infamous for flight delays, or has this perception been shaped by a handful of isolated incidents? Intrigued by this question, I embarked on a personal mission. Let’s delve deep into the matter to uncover the truth behind the perception and shed light on the reality of Jambojet’s flight delays.
The Truth
In pursuit of the truth, I proactively collected extensive data from the reputable aviation platform, flightradar24.com. This data would serve as the foundation for a comprehensive analysis and provide valuable insights into the nature of Jambojet’s flight delays. Specifically, I obtained a comprehensive dataset spanning two months, from March 27th to May 27th, encompassing all flights that departed from JKIA (Jomo Kenyatta International Airport). It is important to highlight that, in terms of the number of departed flights, Kenya Airways and Jambojet are the two primary operators at JKIA.
Without delay, let’s dive straight into the data and examine the duration of flight delays within the specified two-month period. Through meticulous charting, we aim to gain a clearer understanding of the extent and frequency of delays experienced by Jambojet flights. It is important to note that on April 17th, an incident involving a Singapore Cargo plane occurred at JKIA, resulting in an aborted takeoff due to engine failure. This unfortunate event significantly contributed to flight delays experienced on that particular day. Voila! Here we go!
On average, Jambojet flights experienced a delay time of approximately 13 minutes. While delays are a part of the airline industry, this relatively modest average delay suggests that Jambojet’s overall performance regarding timeliness is generally on par with industry standards.
According to the industry standard, a flight is officially considered delayed if it departs from the gates 15 minutes or more after the scheduled departure time. This benchmark allows for a consistent and widely accepted measurement of flight delays, ensuring a fair assessment of the timeliness of airline operations.
Based on our sample size of 1,200 flights, it has been observed that approximately 58% of Jambojet flights depart within 15 minutes of the scheduled time. With this data in mind, it becomes evident that the notion of Jambojet being notorious for flight delays is not entirely accurate. While delays may occur, the majority of flights do depart within the expected timeframe.
However, over the past decade, domestic flights within the United States experienced an average delay rate of 17%. In comparison, Jambojet’s delay rate over the span of two months stands at 42%. The US has more congested airspace and far more complex operations to undertake than Kenya. Hence, Jambojet ought to do better.
What Causes Delays
Flight delays occur for a variety of reasons which include crew availability, weather condition, and air traffic congestion. To identify the sources of delay, we tracked a typical day of a Jambojet aircraft, revealing the following sequence of events:
On average, each of the seven aircraft owned by Jambojet completes four round trips per day. Upon charting the average delay time per round trip, an intriguing pattern emerges. It becomes evident that the majority of delayed flights occur when an aircraft surpasses the average of four round trips. Specifically, the fifth and sixth round trips appear to be more prone to delays compared to earlier flights in the aircraft’s daily rotation. This observation highlights a potential correlation between the number of round trips undertaken by an aircraft and the likelihood of encountering delays.
What to Do
Flight delays are inevitable, especially during peak periods. Jambojet operates the De Havilland Dash 8–400 (DHC –400) with a carrying capacity of 82 passengers. That’s 82 angry people when there’s a major delay. Peter Salasya, a first-time Member of Parliament and the youngest MP got a taste of the delays and suggested a partial refund whenever Jambodelays — quite a nice idea.
The US Department of Transportation proposed new rules that required airlines to issue refunds if flights are cancelled or significantly delayed due to factors within the airline's control. Frontier Airlines already implemented compensation for flight delays that are more than three hours.
In Kenya where refunds may be a distant option, Jambojet can explore alternative forms of compensation to enhance the customer experience for those affected by flight delays. One potential solution could be offering complimentary trips during off-peak days as a gesture of goodwill. For me, a bottle of single malt Whiskey would do to numb the wait at the airport.
