NAIROBI, Kenya- Kenya’s airport crisis entered a second day on Monday, with hundreds of travellers still stranded, flights disrupted and tour operators facing mounting losses as an aviation workers’ go-slow continued to paralyse operations at the country’s key airports.
The disruption at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi and Moi International Airport in Mombasa has moved beyond a short-term inconvenience for passengers, threatening to disrupt carefully planned tourism itineraries and businesses that depend on predictable air travel.
Some travellers spent Sunday night inside JKIA after flights were delayed or cancelled, with reports of passengers sleeping in airport lobbies while waiting for information from airlines.
By Monday morning, some airlines had started arranging hotel accommodation for affected passengers.
The crisis has also hit international connections, creating a domino effect for visitors travelling onward to Kenya’s tourism destinations.
A tourist arriving through Nairobi, for example, may have a connecting flight to the Maasai Mara, Mombasa, Diani or another destination booked for the same day.
A prolonged delay at JKIA can therefore mean missed domestic flights, cancelled hotel transfers, additional accommodation costs and disrupted safari or beach itineraries.
For tour operators, the uncertainty presents a particularly difficult problem.
Companies organising airport transfers, accommodation, safaris and excursions may now have to rearrange entire itineraries for clients whose arrival times have changed.
Those unable to reach their destinations on schedule could also seek refunds or compensation, further increasing the financial burden on businesses already operating on tight travel schedules.
The aviation disruption is also being felt by businesses around the airports, including hotels, taxi operators, travel agencies, restaurants and other service providers whose revenues depend on a steady flow of passengers.
The Kenya Airports Authority has warned passengers of delays across the country and advised travellers to contact their airlines before heading to airports to confirm their flight status.
Kenya Airways, meanwhile, said on Sunday that its flights were operating with average delays of two to three hours because of operational constraints affecting air traffic control services.
But by Monday, the disruption had deepened.
Reuters reported that thousands of passengers were affected, with some stranded for more than 12 hours.
RwandAir also cancelled two flights because of reported air traffic control problems in Nairobi.
At the centre of the crisis is the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU), whose members at the Kenya Airports Authority, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and Jambojet resumed industrial action after an earlier agreement failed to resolve their grievances.
The union has cited unresolved issues including employment benefits, remuneration, working conditions and a stalled collective bargaining process.
Talks held with government officials on Sunday failed to resolve the dispute, with further negotiations expected on Monday.
