Thousands stranded as Airport strike disrupts flights at Nairobi’s JKIA

Thousands of passengers faced delays and cancellations at Kenya’s main international airport on Monday as a strike by aviation workers entered its second day, disrupting flights at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.

Members of the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) began industrial action on Sunday after efforts to resolve a dispute over working conditions and employment agreements failed to produce a settlement.

The union says its grievances include the failure to conclude a collective bargaining agreement with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), as well as what it describes as inadequate cooperation from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and Jambojet.

KAWU secretary-general Moss Ndiema said talks with government officials on Sunday failed to resolve the dispute.

Further negotiations were expected on Monday as the industrial action continued.

The disruption has affected Kenya’s busiest airport, a major hub for regional and international travel, with airlines reporting lengthy delays and cancelled services.

Kenya Airways said some flights had been delayed by more than six hours, while other services were cancelled.

The airline advised affected passengers that they could change their travel dates without additional charges.

RwandAir, Rwanda’s national carrier, also cancelled flights between Kigali and Nairobi for a second consecutive day.

The airline said flights WB452 and WB453 on Monday were cancelled because of continuing operational constraints affecting air traffic control services at JKIA.

It had cancelled another Nairobi service on Sunday for the same reason.

Passengers reported spending long hours at the airport waiting for information.

Reuters quoted traveller Mendel Goldman as saying he had waited for about 12 hours after his flight was cancelled.

Other passengers spent the night at the airport as the disruption continued into Monday.

The Kenya Airports Authority acknowledged that some flights were experiencing delays and cancellations and advised passengers to confirm their flight status with airlines before travelling to the airport.

KAWU has also raised concerns about staffing practices and proposed management changes at the airport.

The union has opposed the use of volunteers to perform duties normally carried out by trained aviation personnel, arguing that such measures could undermine workers’ roles and job security.

The latest action follows another aviation workers’ strike in February that also disrupted operations at JKIA and left passengers stranded.

JKIA is Kenya’s principal international aviation gateway and handled about nine million passengers last year, according to Kenyan authorities.

The dispute has raised concerns about the wider impact on Kenya’s aviation sector, particularly because Nairobi serves as a key connecting point for passengers travelling between East Africa and destinations in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

With negotiations continuing, passengers have been advised to check directly with their airlines before travelling to JKIA while the labour dispute remains unresolved.

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