Passengers stranded as strike disrupts flights at Kenya's main airport

Sun Sep 06 2026 06:49:18 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Hundreds of travellers are stuck at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as workers strike over air‑traffic control, causing flight delays, cancellations and chaos for the second day.

A nationwide go‑slow strike by aviation workers at Nairobi’s JKIA keeps passengers stranded for hours. Kenya Airways cites over six‑hour delays and several cancellations, while other airlines such as RwandAir have cancelled flights too. Strikes stem from disputes concerning collective bargaining and unresolved conditions. The airport, a major regional hub, has dealt with multiple labour disruptions in recent years. Travellers face uncertainty as talks between unions and airport managers remain inconclusive.

Passengers stranded as strike disrupts flights at Kenya's main airport

Hundreds of travellers are stuck at the gates of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. The daily strike by aviation workers over air‑traffic control conditions is the second day of disruption, leaving many passengers waiting for hours and some having to stay overnight.

Three women sit on the kerbside looking fed up, a pink suitcase on the right.

The airport authority and Kenya Airways warned Saturday that all departures could face delays, with the national carrier reporting more than six hour delays and canceling several flights. Passengers were advised that re‑booking could be done without penalty.

A new round of talks between unions and airport managers was scheduled for Monday, yet the discussions broke up a day earlier without an agreement. Workers are pursuing a previously agreed deal and better working conditions.

RwandAir also cancelled two flights citing "operational constraints" at JKIA, echoing earlier stoppages. Traveller Mendel Goldman, expected to fly to a wedding in Florida, was forced to wait 12 hours before a flight departure could be arranged for the next day.

The strike follows a February dispute over collective bargaining and the use of volunteers at the airport. Despite JKIA handling close to nine million passengers last year, it has experienced multiple strikes in recent years as workers push for improved conditions.

For travellers at Nairobi’s busiest hub, the labour action has turned a routine journey into a test of patience and uncertainties. With negotiations still ongoing, flight schedules remain in flux.