KQ warns of flight delays, cancellations as JKIA staff kick off strike

Kenya Airways (KQ) has warned travellers of flight delays and possible cancellations in the wake of the airport workers’ strike which kicked off on Tuesday night at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.

“Kenya Airways would like to alert you that due to the action by some JKIA staff, this has resulted in some delays and possible cancellations of some of our flights for both departing and arriving passengers,” KQ said in a Wednesday morning notice to customers.

“We continue to observe the situation and will update you on the affected flights.”

The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) downed their tools overnight in protest of the controversial plan to lease Kenya’s main airport to India's Adani Group for 30 years for a $1.85 billion (Ksh.242 billion) investment.

There were chaotic scenes at JKIA early Wednesday with photos and videos shared on social media showing hordes of passengers trying to get their baggage amid a go-slow at the airport’s entry points.

“Adani must go!” chaos, grounded flights at JKIA as workers protest over controversial Adani takeover pic.twitter.com/Aq2kTSSVt5

While President William Ruto’s government has defended the deal as necessary to refurbish JKIA, the airport workers warn the plan poses risks of job losses.

JKIA is the main gateway into Kenya and is the busiest airport in East Africa, handling 8.8 million passengers and 380,000 tonnes of cargo in 2022-23.

It is the hub of Kenya Airways, which it serves alongside other such airlines as Emirates, Turkish Airways, British Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.