NAIROBI, — Kenya’s main international gateway, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), was hit by major disruption on Monday after airport workers launched a strike over pay, benefits, and unresolved labor agreements, delaying both departures and arrivals and stranding thousands of passengers. Kenya Airways issued a travel advisory urging passengers not to go to the airport without confirmed flight status, citing air traffic control operational delays and schedule adjustments.
Scenes outside and inside JKIA showed long queues, packed waiting areas, and frustrated travelers unable to obtain clear rebooking timelines. AP reported that some passengers were effectively trapped in transit complications, including visa-related problems after disrupted onward journeys. Among them was a Canadian tourist whose plans to travel to Uganda were derailed, while other families said relatives remained stuck in terminals amid uncertainty over new departure times.
The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) said it had activated contingency measures to reduce disruption and remained open to dialogue with workers. But union officials signaled that the action was tied to longer-running grievances, including stalled implementation of labor commitments and unresolved collective bargaining issues.
Reuters reported that the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority had sought legal avenues to stop the strike, while union leaders argued no binding order had been served in time to prevent a full work stoppage. JKIA is one of Africa’s key aviation hubs for regional and long-haul traffic, so even short operational interruptions can quickly cascade across airlines and routes in East Africa and beyond.
