Kenya Airways has warned passengers of flight delays exceeding six hours at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) as an ongoing aviation workers’ strike continues to disrupt operations across Kenya’s major airports.
In a customer update issued on Monday, the national carrier said the industrial action by Air Traffic Control (ATC) workers had created a flight backlog, forcing it to reschedule and cancel some flights.
“We are experiencing delays of more than 6 hours, and due to the flight backlog, we have had to reschedule and cancel some flights,” Kenya Airways said.
The airline said its teams were “working round the clock” to manage the disruption and proactively reschedule flights as the situation develops.
KQ advised passengers not to travel to JKIA unless they had first confirmed their flight.
“We advise our customers to only come to the airport once they have a confirmed flight,” the airline said, directing travellers to check their flight status through the Kenya Airways website or mobile application.
The carrier also urged customers to update their contact information through the Manage Booking section of its website or app to ensure they receive the latest travel notifications.
The disruption comes as Kenya’s aviation workers’ strike entered its second day on Monday, after the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) resumed industrial action on Sunday, August 30.
Workers at the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and Jambojet are participating in the strike, which follows a dispute over employment conditions and implementation of commitments reached during earlier negotiations.
An exclusive Notice to Airmen issued by KCAA at 4:50am on Monday warned that air traffic to and from the Nairobi Flight Information Region, including major airports, would be subject to delays because of the industrial action.
The notice was valid until 7pm on Monday, although the stated time does not guarantee an immediate return to normal operations.
The impact has been most visible at JKIA, where hundreds of passengers were stranded after spending the night at the airport. Some airlines were arranging hotel accommodation while managing delayed and rescheduled flights.
KAA has also acknowledged delays affecting departing flights and advised passengers to confirm their flight status with airlines before travelling.
Kenya Airways said affected passengers could change or reschedule their flights “without penalty”.
“The safety of our customers and crew remains our highest priority,” the airline apologised, thanking passengers for their patience and understanding.