Editor,

Refer to Kenneth Agutamba’s article, "Kenya Airways has issues to fix” (The New Times, June 28).

The worst outcome, and by far the most likely, of a merger of airlines is that we end up with accentuated flaws of the individual airlines rather than a reinforcement of their strengths.

There is need first to understand the real reasons KQ’s standards are slipping before devising the right solution to the airline’s problems. Instead of being a real solution, a merger or acquisition and the difficulties of integrating two companies with different corporate cultures, can instead sink both companies.

Bigger is not always better, and an element of healthy competition is what we the passengers need, not an even greater reduction in choice.

MK