By: ThinkBusiness Africa
Travelers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and other regional hubs are seeing a return to normalcy on Wednesday, after the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) officially called off its nationwide strike.
According to a statement from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), the resolution followed an intensive mediation meeting led by Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, along with officials from the Ministry of Labour, KAA, and the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).
The strike, which began at 6:00 AM on Monday, was triggered by a decade-long dispute over stalled Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs). Union leaders had accused the government of “servitude conditions,” citing stagnant pay and the use of short-term contracts for permanent roles.
The 48-hour “go-slow” primarily affected Air Traffic Control (ATC) services, creating a bottleneck that paralyzed Kenya’s airspace.
Hundreds of travelers were left stranded in departure halls, with some reporting being stuck on tarmacs for over two hours without air conditioning.
National carrier Kenya Airways reported departure delays of up to four hours, while regional airlines like Jambojet and Uganda Airlines were forced to cancel or reschedule dozens of flights.
The impact was felt beyond Nairobi, with Kisumu International Airport reporting a total standstill of arrivals from JKIA on Tuesday morning.
“Operations are normalizing across all airports. Passengers are advised to contact their airlines for the latest flight schedules.” KAA said in a statement.
While the strike is over, a significant backlog of flights remains. KAA Managing Director Mohamud Gedi noted that while operations are “normalizing,” passengers should not head to the airport without first confirming their flight status with their respective airlines.
