Operations at Kenya's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) were paralyzed on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, after workers went on strike to protest the planned leasing of the country's main airport.
The strike began at 12:00 a.m. on Wednesday and caused flight delays and cancellations for both departing and arriving passengers, leaving many stranded.
Kenya's national carrier, Kenya Airways (KQ), confirmed the flight disruptions, stating, "We continue to observe the situation and will provide updates on the affected flights."
RwandAir was also impacted by the strike and had to cancel two flights on Wednesday morning. The airline, however, confirmed that affected passengers would be rebooked on the next available flights.
"Due to the ongoing strike by airport staff at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, our flights WB452/WB453 KGL/NBO/KGL on 11 September 2024 are canceled. All affected passengers will be rebooked on the next available flights. We apologize for any inconvenience caused," RwandAir said in a post on X.
Due to the ongoing strike by airport staff at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, our flights WB452/WB453 KGL/NBO/KGL on 11 September 2024 are cancelled. All affected passengers will be rebooked on the next available flights. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
â€" RwandAir (@FlyRwandAir) September 11, 2024
The strike was organized by the Kenya Aviation Workers Union, which represents airport workers. The union argues that the proposed agreement to lease the airport to India's Adani Group for 30 years would lead to job losses and the influx of non-Kenyan workers.
The Kenyan government announced plans to lease the airport in July, stating that it is operating above capacity and needs modernization. The government insists that the airport is not for sale.
The government suffered a setback on Tuesday when the High Court suspended the airport's management takeover following a petition filed by the Law Society of Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission.
The petitioners argued that the estimated $1.85 billion required to revamp the airport could be raised without resorting to a multi-decade leasing contract.
'The Adani proposal is unaffordable, threatens job losses, exposes the public disproportionately to fiscal risk, and offers no value for money to the taxpayer,' the organizations argued in their legal filing.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/airlines-cancel-flights-as-workers-at-kenya-s-main-airport-strike
