A strike by airport workers brought disruption to Kenya’s main international gateway on Monday, delaying flights and stranding thousands of passengers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in the capital, Nairobi.
Employees walked off the job in a dispute over pay and working conditions, triggering operational delays that rippled across regional and international routes. Kenya Airways, the country’s national carrier, issued a travel advisory urging customers to check their flight status before heading to the airport, warning that air traffic control and other operational functions had been affected.
In a statement, the airline said departures and arrivals were experiencing delays and that schedules would need to be adjusted throughout the day. “Passengers are advised not to proceed to the airport without a confirmed flight status,” it said.
Scenes outside the airport showed hundreds of travellers sitting on pavements with luggage piled beside them, seeking updates on departures that appeared increasingly uncertain. Some families told the Associated Press that relatives were stuck inside terminals with limited information about when they might be able to travel.
The airport is a critical transport hub for east Africa, serving as a gateway for tourists, business travellers and aid workers moving across the region. Disruption there has knock-on effects for neighbouring countries including Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda, as well as for long-haul connections to Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Among those caught up in the chaos was Trent Bryski, a Canadian tourist who had spent the past month touring Kenya. He had been due to travel to Uganda to celebrate his birthday in Entebbe but said the strike had dashed his plans.
“Actually, we are not supposed to be out here because our visa says that we have left, so they gave us a special letter, and we don’t know when we are leaving again,” he told the Associated Press. With his Kenyan visa expired and his onward journey uncertain, he described the situation as confusing and stressful.
Another passenger, Linda Chebet, said she had been forced to rearrange family plans after flight delays prevented her from accompanying her mother to Eldoret. “We’ve been waiting for hours without clear communication,” she said, expressing frustration at the lack of information.
The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), which manages the country’s airports, said it had implemented contingency measures to minimise disruptions and was working to resolve the dispute. In a statement, it emphasised its “openness to constructive dialogue” and said efforts were under way to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.
Airport workers had issued a strike notice last week after talks between their union and airport authorities stalled. The dispute centres on demands for improved labour conditions, higher pay and better benefits, according to union representatives. Workers argue that rising living costs and increased workloads have not been matched by corresponding improvements in compensation.
The strike underscores broader labour tensions in Kenya, where public sector workers have periodically downed tools in disputes over pay and conditions. For a country that relies heavily on tourism and its position as a regional logistics hub, prolonged disruption at its busiest airport could have significant economic consequences.
By late Monday, there was no clear indication of when full services would resume. For the thousands of stranded passengers, the uncertainty – more than the delays themselves – appeared to be the most immediate hardship.
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