Hundreds of passengers were stranded at Kenya’s main gate in Nairobi as disruptions lingered for the second consecutive day. The strike, led by aviation sector workers demanding better conditions and the enforcement of a prior agreement, has driven the federal carrier Kenya Airways and others to cancel flights and impose more than six‑hour delays.
Kenya Airways said that the air traffic control strike was the cause of the backlog and that any travellers wishing to change or reschedule could do so without a penalty. However, travellers such as Mendel Goldman, who had been waiting 12 hours for a cancelled trip to Florida, noted that the next available flight would not leave until the following night.
RwandAir also cancelled two services, citing operational constraints from the ongoing strike. The delay hits a hub that handled roughly nine million passengers last year, underscoring the ripple effect of the strike across the continent.
Union officials argued their industrial action is necessary because key concerns remain unaddressed, even after conflicts in February over collective bargaining and volunteer use at the airport. Repeated strikes indicate a growing trend among airport workers to demand better safety standards and fair wages.
Traffic on social media saw real‑time updates, with many passengers posting photos and status reports from the control tower and check‑in areas. Alignment of these eyewitness accounts with official flight‑tracking data has underlined the severity of the disruptions.
The situation remains fluid, with a new round of talks slated for the following day. Stakeholders continue to monitor the developments closely, hoping for a quick return to normal operations at Nairobi’s busiest airport hub.
