On Wednesday, September 11, operations at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO)
plunged into chaos as airport workers went on strike to protest against the planned leasing of the hub to an Indian company. Several international airlines, including the country’s flag carrier, Kenya Airways
, were forced to cancel and delay flights.
Disruptions at Jomo Kenyatta Airport
From the early hours of the day, long queues were seen forming at Kenya’s main international airport as staff members went on strike. As reported by the BBC, workers were in a “go-slow” mood, deliberately working slowly to cause disruptions. Hundreds of passengers were reportedly left stranded as aircraft were grounded.
The airport workers were chanting, “Adani must go,” in protest of a proposed deal to lease the airport to the Adani Group, which would invest $1.85 billion in its expansion. Kenya Airways had earlier announced that there would possibly be flight delays and cancelations due to the strike. Police officers began assuming the roles of check-in security as long queues formed outside the departure terminal.
However, the lines had reportedly started moving again by midday. Flightradar24 shows that over 50 flights to and from Nairobi were canceled, including Kenya Airways’ flights to Mombasa, Johannesburg, and Entebbe. Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines also canceled flights. In an update posted on X over 11 hours ago, Kenya Airways said,
“Kenya Airways would like to alert you that due to the action by some JKIA staff, this has resulted in some delays and possible cancelations of some of our flights for both departing and arriving passengers.”
The proposed deal with Adani
The Kenyan government plans to modernize Nairobi Airport through a build-and-operate agreement with India’s Adani Group. The deal would see the firm invest in constructing a new runway and upgrading the terminal in exchange for running the airport for 30 years.
Photo: Riing | Shutterstock
In announcing the strike, members of the Kenya Airport Workers Unions raised their concerns, saying that the deal would result in job losses and “inferior terms and conditions of service” for those remaining. While Kenya’s high court had temporarily blocked the Adani proposal on Monday, workers proceeded to strike a few days later. The strike reportedly spread to regional airports in Kisumu and Mombasa.
The Adani Group is led by Gautam Adani, the 17th richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $84 billion, as per Forbes. The group operates seven airports in India and has been previously criticized for winning favors from ruling governments. Adani is also considering partnering with the Vietnamese government to invest in two airports in the Southeast Asian country.
Upgrading Jomo Kenyatta Airport
It is no secret that Kenya’s main airport is in desperate need of a face-lift. Even on a regular day, flying through Jomo Kenyatta can be a daunting task. The airport’s need for better infrastructure was highlighted earlier this year when heavy rains caused several leakages and damage to property inside the terminal.
The airport has also seen a number of blackouts over the past year
.
Photo: Kenya Airways
The airport’s single runway has been a significant point of discussion,
as any runway incident can also lead to severe disruptions
. The Kenyan government has noted that the airport is operating above capacity and needs to be modernized. However, it is not for sale. As of September 2024, no decision has been made on the proposed public-private partnership to upgrade the infrastructure.
Nonetheless, the airport remains a major gateway into East Africa. According to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, there are about 30 airlines flying to and from Nairobi, including Emirates, British Airways, KLM, and Air India.