Kenya airport staff strike delays thousands of passengers

Airport workers in Kenya continued a go-slow strike on Monday, causing significant delays for thousands of travelers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, according to the Kenya Aviation Workers’ Union (KAWU). The union attributed the ongoing strike to multiple grievances, including the inability to finalize a collective bargaining agreement with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and insufficient cooperation from both the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and Kenya Airways.

As the strike entered its second day, KAA had only disclosed that some flights were experiencing delays without explaining the reasons behind these disruptions. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and Jambojet did not comment on the matter.

RwandAir, Rwanda's national carrier, reported that it had canceled two flights due to challenges with air traffic control at the Nairobi airport. Passengers at the airport expressed frustration, with some spending hours waiting for updates on their flights. Rabbi Mendel Goldman, who was traveling to a wedding in Florida, shared his experience of multiple delays, ultimately leading to the cancellation of his flight.

He mentioned having to wait for 12 hours before the earliest available flight was scheduled for the following night. KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema informed the public on Sunday that the union and government officials had met to address the issues but had been unsuccessful in reaching a resolution. He stated that negotiations would resume the following day at 11 a.m., and the strike action would continue until then.