A nationwide go-slow strike by Kenyan aviation workers demanding improved working conditions and fulfillment of a years-old negotiated agreement has entered its second day, leaving hundreds of travelers stranded at East Africa’s critical transport hub, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi. As of Monday, major disruptions including massive delays, widespread cancellations and diverted flights continued to upend travel plans for thousands of passengers, with some already stuck for more than 12 hours and others forced to spend the night in airport check-in zones waiting for updates.
JKIA ranks among the busiest airports on the African continent, serving as a primary connecting gateway between Africa and global destinations, with Kenyan government data showing it handled roughly 9 million total passengers in 2025. This ongoing work stoppage is not an isolated incident: labor disputes have disrupted operations at the airport multiple times in recent years, and this current action follows a two-day collective bargaining dispute back in February that centered on staffing agreements and the use of volunteer workers at the facility. Union leaders launched the new strike after core concerns from that earlier confrontation remained unaddressed by airport management.
On Sunday, both the Kenya Airports Authority and Kenya Airways, the country’s flag carrier, issued public warnings that departing flights would face significant delays. Fresh negotiations between labor union representatives and airport leadership were scheduled to resume on Monday, after talks on the previous day collapsed without any tentative agreement reached. Kenya Airways confirmed in an official statement that the industrial action by air traffic control staff has caused delays exceeding six hours for most scheduled services, and the accumulating backlog of disrupted flights has forced the carrier to cancel multiple scheduled departures. The airline has offered its full apology to affected passengers and has waived all change and rebooking fees for travelers looking to adjust their itineraries.
Other regional and international airlines have also been forced to adjust their operations in response to the crisis. RwandAir, the Rwandan national carrier, announced Monday it had canceled two additional flights to Nairobi, following multiple cancellations of services to the airport on Sunday, citing persistent operational constraints impacting JKIA’s air traffic control system. Global flight tracking platform Flightradar24’s real-time data showed a large number of delayed, canceled and diverted flights across the airport’s schedule as of Monday morning.
Travelers stuck at the airport have described widespread confusion and frustration over poor communication and extended wait times. Mendel Goldman, a passenger en route to a wedding in Florida, told Reuters his original flight was eventually canceled after multiple rolling delays, and he had already waited 12 hours for a resolution. “The earliest flight they can get us is only tomorrow night, so we’ve got to wait. We’re going to try and make most of it, but in the meantime, I’ve been here for 12 hours now, waiting in the airport,” Goldman said. Twenty-two-year-old traveler William Obino told Agence France-Presse that the lack of timely updates had completely upended his travel plans. “Nothing is happening, updates are reaching us late. It’s ruining our itinerary,” Obino said.