Kenya airport strike delays flights

Thousands of travellers faced delays at Kenya’s main international airport on Monday as a go-slow by aviation workers entered its second day.

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) faced widespread delays on Sunday after aviation workers began the action, disrupting departures and regional connections. By Monday morning, several airlines were arranging hotel accommodation for the affected passengers.

The Kenya Aviation Workers’ Union (KAWU) said the action was over unresolved grievances, including stalled collective bargaining talks with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and disputes involving the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and Kenya Airways subsidiary Jambojet.

"We wish to inform the public, the country and the users of our services rendered by our members that effective this morning our members went on strike," Moss Ndiema, Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) Secretary-General, said.

Staff from the KCAA, KAA and Jambojet taking part in the action are demanding improved salaries, among other grievances.

The KAA confirmed that some departing flights had been delayed and said it was working with aviation agencies, airlines and other stakeholders to manage the disruption and keep operations moving.

Kenya Airways, which uses JKIA as its hub, separately attributed delays into and out of the airport to air traffic control constraints. The airline said scheduled flights were departing with average delays of two to three hours, while some flights faced longer delays.

Rwanda’s national carrier, RwandAir, cancelled two flights on Sunday, citing air traffic control challenges in Nairobi. The airline subsequently cancelled flights again on Monday as the disruption continued.

By 2:00 p.m. local time, the airline said 30% of its scheduled flights for the day had departed, with average delays of two to three hours. 

Passengers said they had spent hours at the airport waiting for information.

"When I got here, the flight was delayed till 1:00 a.m. So it was an hour and a half delay, and then there was another delay till 4:30 a.m. And then at about 3 o'clock, I went to the check-in. They told me that the flight's been cancelled," said rabbi Mendel Goldman, who is travelling to a wedding in Florida.

"The earliest flight they can get us is only tomorrow night, so we've got to wait," Goldman said on Monday. "We're going to try and make most of it, but in the meantime, I've been here for 12 hours now, waiting in the airport."

KAWU Secretary-General Moss Ndiema said talks with government officials on Sunday had failed to resolve the dispute.

"We have agreed to proceed with the engagements tomorrow, as from 11 o'clock in the morning. In the meantime, the strike action is still on," he said.