In brief
Kenya’s main airport in Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta International, was hit by a two‑day strike by air traffic control workers, jolting the region’s busiest hub. Hundreds of passengers sat on the curb for hours, while airlines like Kenya Airways and RwandAir canceled or postponed flights, causing a backlog that stretched into the night. Union talks failed to reach a deal, leaving travelers like a 22‑year‑old tourist and a wedding‑traveler on the brink of missing their connections. The strike follows a February dispute over collective bargaining and the use of airport volunteers, highlighting the chronic tensions between Kenyan airport staff and management. The incident underscores the fragility of East Africa’s aviation network and the ripple effects of industrial action on global travel.
Kenya Airways and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) have been rocked by a workers’ strike that has stranded hundreds of passengers in Nairobi’s main air hub for more than 12 hours. The dispute, carried out by air traffic control staff, is aimed at forcing better working conditions and enforcing an agreement that had been previously signed but not implemented.
On Sunday, JKIA’s authorities warned that departures would face delays, while the airline said it had faced flight back‑logs that resulted in cancellations and forced some passengers to wait overnight in the check‑in area. According to the airline, more than six hours of delay were expected on many routes.
RwandAir confirmed Monday that it had canceled two flights under “operational constraints affecting air traffic control services,” having already cancelled flights on Sunday. Both carriers offered passengers the ability to reschedule without a penalty.
Passengers such as 22‑year‑old traveler William Obino reported being at the airport for 12 hours with no clear updates, causing them to miss planned itineraries. Elsewhere, a wedding‑traveler told Reuters that his flight had been cancelled after repeated delays.
The strike follows a February confrontation over collective bargaining and the use of volunteers at the airport, with union leaders citing ongoing unresolved concerns. The Nairobi airport handles roughly nine million passengers annually, making this disruption a major delay for the entire region.
Flights tracked on Flightradar24 show a wave of cancellations, stemming from a backlog caused by the failed industrial action. Neither Nairobi airport nor Kenya Airways has yet indicated when talks will resume or when the dispute will end.
