Strike Disrupts Flights at Nairobi's JKIA

Hundreds of passengers were stranded overnight at Kenya's main international airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, as the latest strike by aviation workers entered its second day on Monday. The airport, a major hub for the east African region and vital to the country's tourism trade, has seen multiple strikes in recent years as workers push for better conditions.

Several flights were cancelled on Sunday, and an AFP journalist reported seeing hundreds of travellers stuck at the airport, with local media saying many were forced to spend the night there. Kenya Airways said Sunday that flights were departing with an average delay of two to three hours.

Passengers expressed frustration at the lack of information. "Nothing is happening, updates are reaching us late. It's ruining our itinerary," 22-year-old traveller William Obino told AFP. Another passenger, international student Nicole Jepkorir, described the situation as "very inconvenient," adding, "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 today."

Union Demands and Dispute Background

The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) says it is striking over a longstanding failure of the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) to finalise a new collective bargaining agreement. The union also opposes the use of volunteers from the National Youth Service as airport staff, and has accused the KAA of lacking support for workers.

Union leader Moss Ndiema said that KAWU had met with government officials on Sunday to resolve the dispute but was unsuccessful in reaching an agreement. Talks between the union and government officials were due to resume on Monday.

Airline and Airport Response

Kenya Airways reported that flights were departing about two hours late on average. Rwanda's RwandAir said on Sunday it had to cancel two flights due to concerns over air traffic control issues in Nairobi.

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) issued a statement saying it was "working closely with the relevant aviation agencies, airlines and other stakeholders to manage the situation, minimize disruption and facilitate the smooth flow of airport operations."

Passengers arriving at the airport face revised departure times and long waits, and are advised to contact their airlines before travelling to the airport. The strike is the latest in a series of labour actions at the airport over poor working conditions and the lack of a collective bargaining agreement with the country's Civil Aviation Authority.