Passengers stranded as strike disrupts flights at Kenya's main airport



Three women sit on the kerbside looking fed up. A pink suitcase can be seen on the right.
Some passengers have been waiting for hours for their flights


Hundreds of passengers were stranded at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi as a nationwide go‑slow strike by aviation sector workers rattled the airport’s operations for the second consecutive day.


The strike, aimed at securing better working conditions and the enforcement of a previously agreed deal, caused Kenya Airways to experience delays of over six hours and forced the cancellation of several departures.


Kenya Airways announced that passengers could change or reschedule their flights without incurring penalties, but many were left waiting overnight in and around the check‑in areas, with little timely information.


RwandAir also announced the cancellation of two flights on Monday, citing “operational constraints affecting air traffic control services.” Flight‑tracking sites showed a large number of delayed, cancelled or diverted flights across the day.


"The earliest flight they can get us is only tomorrow night, so we've got to wait," a traveller told Reuters. "I've been here for 12 hours now, waiting in the airport."


Another traveller, 22‑year‑old William Obino, added to AFP: "Nothing is happening, updates are reaching us late. It's ruining our itinerary."


The strike follows a two‑day dispute in February over collective bargaining and the use of volunteers at the airport, with unions asserting that ongoing concerns remain unresolved.


JKIA is a critical logistical hub, handling roughly nine million passengers last year. Repeated strikes over the past years have highlighted persistent tensions between airport workers and management over labour conditions.