Kenya Airways is among airlines that issued alerts to its customers informing them of flight delays and cancellations due to the industrial action by employees at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
The airline has attributed the disruptions to the actions of JKIA employees who have downed tools in protest of the government's plans to lease the airport to Indian company Adani Enterprises.
"Kenya Airways would like to alert you that due to the action by some JKIA staff, this has resulted in some delays and possible cancellations of some of our flights for both departing and arriving passengers," Kenya Airways said.
The strike, which began on Wednesday has caused significant disruptions to both departing and arriving flights at Kenya's largest and busiest airport.
Kenya Airways has advised passengers to monitor flight updates and reach out to their customer service team for further assistance.
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The industrial action is a direct response to the government's controversial plans to lease JKIA to Adani Enterprises under a 30-year build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract.
The Indian conglomerate is expected to upgrade the airport, including constructing a second runway and a new passenger terminal.
The strike has disrupted operations at the airport, leading to flight delays and cancellations.
Hundreds of travellers have been stranded at JKIA as a result of the industrial action.
KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema emphasized that the union's concerns about the Adani deal have been met with indifference by the government.
"The government has not been straightforward and they are not genuine," Ndiema stated.
"They have not provided us with all the documents that we demanded. All we want is that the government stops the Adani deal."
The strike comes just a week after KAWU members threatened industrial action over concerns about the presence of unidentified individuals believed to be Adani representatives at JKIA.
The union alleged that these individuals were engaged in activities such as photographing airport installations and conducting stock assessments, raising fears about potential interference in the airport's operations.
As a condition for calling off the initial strike, KAWU demanded that the government halt the activities of Adani employees at JKIA, disclose the details of the proposed lease, and allow the union to review the relevant documents before the public participation process begins.
The workers also opposed the government's plans to send a delegation to India to advance the leasing deal until the public participation exercise is completed and Kenyan citizens have expressed their approval of the project.
The strike has been further fueled by a recent High Court ruling that temporarily halted the proposed lease of JKIA to Adani.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) challenged the deal, arguing that the airport is a strategic national asset and that the leasing arrangement violates principles of good governance and transparency.
As the strike continues, travellers are facing significant inconveniences and uncertainty.
The government and KAWU are engaged in negotiations to resolve the impasse, but the outcome remains uncertain.