Hundreds stranded at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as Strike Enters Day Two

Hundreds of passengers remained stranded at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Monday as an aviation workers' strike continued to disrupt operations.

Traveller Adow Mohammed told the Star that he had arrived at the airport at 3am hoping to catch a flight that had been scheduled for Sunday.

“We have been here since 3am. My flight was yesterday, but we were told to come today at 7am,” Mohammed said.

“So I came here at around 3am just to ensure that everything is in order. I am even shocked that it is already 8am and no one is telling us anything. No one is talking to us about the flight.”

He appealed to the government to intervene and resolve the situation.

“Could the government just do something about it?” he said.

Mohammed is just one of the many travellers stranded at the airport, with no idea when the stalemate will be resolved.

Hundreds of travellers spent on Sunday night in airport lobbies awaiting guidance from airlines, with some carriers on Monday morning processing hotel transfers for affected passengers.

The disruption followed a strike by workers affiliated with the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU), who began a go-slow across Kenyan airports on Sunday.

The workers are demanding improved welfare, better working conditions and the implementation of previously agreed employment benefits.

The industrial action disrupted operations at several airports, including JKIA in Nairobi and Moi International Airport in Mombasa.

KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema said union members had downed their tools at the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, the Kenya Airports Authority and Jambojet.

He said the workers would not resume duty until the union's grievances with the three institutions were addressed.

Flight operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and other airports were disrupted on Sunday by a go-slow involving staff of the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), resulting in significant delays.

Several flights scheduled to depart as early as 8 am remained on the ground several hours later, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded and awaiting updates on their departure times.

The disruption has caused growing frustration among travellers, with airlines yet to provide clear timelines on when normal operations will resume.

Passengers were advised to expect major delays as the go-slow continues to affect airport operations.