Aviation strike grounds flights as hundreds of passengers spend night at JKIA

Hundreds of passengers spent the night at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after aviation workers resumed their strike, bringing operations at Kenya’s major airports to a near halt.

Travellers scheduled to fly through JKIA in Nairobi and Moi International Airport in Mombasa were left stranded in airport lobbies as workers under the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) began go-slows and downed their tools on Sunday, August 30, 2026.

By Monday morning, some airlines had started processing hotel transfers for passengers who had spent the night at the airport awaiting guidance.

The industrial action involves workers from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and Jambojet, with KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema saying the workers would not resume until their grievances were addressed.

The strike follows the collapse of a framework agreement signed on July 27, 2026, after Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir convened KAWU and the employers named in an earlier strike notice.

The agreement established a timetable for the organisations involved to negotiate directly with the union.

However, KAWU said organisations other than KAA had failed to address the union's core concerns, prompting the workers to resume industrial action.

Among the issues raised by the workers are poor remuneration, unfair staff hiring practices, unfulfilled employment benefits and the proposed takeover or merger of JKIA by Kenya Airways.

The workers are also demanding improved welfare and better working conditions, alongside the immediate dismissal of top managers at KAA and Kenya Airways.

KAWU has maintained that the strike will continue until the grievances are settled.

The strike has affected several categories of airport workers, including ground staff, cargo handlers, support service personnel, duty-free shop employees and flight attendants.

At JKIA, disruptions have affected check-in, immigration, boarding and flight operations, creating long queues and delays.

Kenya Airways has advised passengers not to head to JKIA until further notice amid the disruption.

The effects have also been felt at Moi International Airport in Mombasa, where operations have similarly been disrupted.

The disruption has affected international connections, leaving passengers facing missed onward flights and cancelled itineraries.

Hundreds of passengers spent Sunday night in JKIA's airport lobbies while awaiting information and assistance from their airlines.

However, some stranded have taken to social media to accuse airport authorities of racial discrimination, claiming white travelers were accommodated in hotels while Kenyans remained at the airport for hours with little assistance.

By Monday morning, airlines had begun processing hotel accommodation and transferring some of the stranded passengers from the airport to hotels.

The disruption has also affected businesses linked to aviation, including tourism operators and airport taxi services.

The Kenya Airports Authority has urged travellers to contact their airlines before travelling to airport terminals and called for an urgent truce and continued dialogue between the parties.

The Ministry of Roads and Transport has acknowledged congestion and operational bottlenecks at JKIA as efforts continue to address the dispute between aviation management and the union.

The industrial action follows an earlier strike notice that had been suspended in July, with the July 27 framework agreement having been intended to provide a pathway for negotiations between KAWU and the affected employers.