msafiri_2017_4

INTRODUCTION / 11
Enjoy Your Flight
“Safety is
Good
Business”
Meet PETER KIMERIA, head of Safety
& Quality at Kenya Airways. He explains
how ensuring safety is KQ’s top priority.
“It is our license to fly.”
Cover image: Alamy
Msafiri April 2017 edition 132 kenya-airways.com
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What brought you to Kenya Airways?
I graduated from Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University with a B.Sc.
in Aeronautical Science and applied to
work at Kenya Airways because it is the
leading airline in the country. I knew
that working here would help me grow
my career. I joined in 1997 as First
Officer, became Captain in 2005, and
joined the Safety Team in 2009. I
strongly believe in the values at the core
of Kenya Airways: safety, customer,
respect, integrity, passion and trust,
or S-C-R-I-P-T, for short.
What does the Safety Team do?
We see to it that safety comes first and
foremost. It is our license to fly. We are
involved in operations across the board,
from flight to maintenance to industrial
safety. While each pursues a separate
safety mandate, all teams are committed
to the development, maintenances and
continuous improvement of the Safety
Management System.
How are standards maintained?
We use International Civil Aviation
Organization guidelines. Our Quality
Assurance Team schedule internal
audits, spot checks and inspections to
make sure that we meet the expected
industry safety standards at all times.
This non-stop dedication to safety and
quality has been recognised internationally.
We pride ourselves on being part of
the coveted IATA Operational Safety
Audit. The IOSA standards give an
independent assurance of our safety
record. In addition, the British Safety
Council presented Kenya Airways with
International Safety Awards in 2015
and 2016 for the commitment to
keeping employees and workplaces
healthy and safe.
What are you passionate about in your job?
Communication. We aim to demonstrate
maturity in our safety culture by
constantly communicating our commitment
to a “just system” that seeks to
identify the root causes of possible
safety events as opposed to assigning
blame. The practices we have in place
are sound and rigorous and I am confident
that we can continue to ensure the
highest levels of safety. That’s our job.
And it’s a job I’m honoured to do.
Kenya Airways World Travel Awards
• Winner of Best Airline in Africa, 2016
• Winner of Africa’s Leading Airline –
Business Class 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016