Thousands of travellers faced severe disruption at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after air traffic controllers and airport staff launched a strike over unpaid wages, job security concerns, and poor working conditions. Flights were significantly delayed, forcing passengers to wait hours beyond their scheduled departure times.
JKIA, Kenya's largest international airport and one of East Africa's busiest aviation hubs, ground to a near standstill as workers walked off the job. The strike is not the first of its kind — it follows a previous labour dispute that had been temporarily resolved through government intervention, only for tensions to resurface after the underlying issues remained unaddressed. The workers' union says their grievances were never fully met, prompting them to resume industrial action.
The human cost of the disruption was felt acutely across the terminal. "We were supposed to leave at 4 pm today, but due to the inconvenience and the protests that were here this morning, we will be leaving at midnight," said Nicole Jepkorir, an international student caught in the chaos. "It's very inconvenient." Kenya's Airport Authority acknowledged the disruption and said it was working to minimise delays, while airlines began issuing revised departure times. Passengers were advised to contact their airlines before heading to the airport.
After talks between the union and government officials failed to produce an agreement on Sunday, negotiations were scheduled to resume the following day. The outcome of those discussions will be closely watched, as a prolonged strike could have significant economic consequences — JKIA handles the bulk of Kenya's international air traffic and serves as a critical transit point for the wider region.
The dispute highlights persistent tensions between airport workers and authorities over labour rights and compensation, issues that have repeatedly tested industrial relations in Kenya's aviation sector. A durable resolution will likely require structural commitments rather than short-term agreements that, as this episode demonstrates, can quickly unravel.