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Kenya Airways passengers travelling through Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) are facing severe disruption, with reports of delays stretching up to six hours and a growing number of cancellations as an air traffic control (ATC) workers’ strike slows operations at Kenya’s busiest hub.
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Air traffic control dispute paralyses operations at JKIA
Flight operations at JKIA began deteriorating on Sunday, August 30, 2026, when aviation workers affiliated with the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) resumed industrial action after a breakdown in talks with airport operators and regulators. The go-slow and strike action involve staff from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and Jambojet, affecting both air traffic control capacity and ground handling at the country’s primary international gateway.
Published coverage indicates that the dispute centres on long-running grievances over pay, collective bargaining agreements and job security. A framework agreement signed on July 27 was intended to defuse an earlier strike notice, but union representatives contend that commitments have not been honoured, prompting the latest escalation that has rippled across Kenya’s aviation network.
Reports from Nairobi describe scenes of congestion and confusion across terminals as queues formed at check-in counters and security screening, while some airport entrances were intermittently blocked by protesting workers. With reduced staffing in key operational roles, departures and arrivals have slowed significantly, forcing airlines to replan rotations and cut frequencies on short notice.
The disruption has extended beyond JKIA to other Kenyan airports, including Moi International Airport in Mombasa, but the greatest impact is being felt in Nairobi, where Kenya Airways operates its main hub and coordinates the bulk of its regional and long-haul schedules.
Kenya Airways warns of multi-hour delays and cancellations
Kenya Airways, which relies on JKIA as its central hub for Africa, Europe, Middle East and Asia connections, has issued customer updates acknowledging “operational constraints within Air Traffic Control services” and warning of extended delays. According to publicly available information, the carrier reported that only a portion of scheduled flights had departed on time, with many facing average delays of two to three hours and some stretching significantly longer.
Travel industry reports and local media accounts indicate that, in peak periods, Kenya Airways flights have been pushed back by up to six hours as the airline contends with restricted access to take-off and landing slots, congested taxiways and limited staffing in control towers. The rolling knock-on effects have forced the carrier to cancel selected services, particularly on short-haul regional routes, to free aircraft and crews for long-haul operations.
Kenya Airways has been advising passengers to arrive at the airport well in advance, in some cases up to four hours before departure, and to monitor flight status via its website or mobile app. However, the scale and unpredictability of the ATC-related disruption mean that many travellers are still arriving to find their flights heavily delayed, retimed or cancelled outright, with rebooking options constrained by reduced network capacity.
Travel agents and tour operators are also reporting challenges in protecting itineraries for passengers with onward connections through Nairobi. Missed links to regional destinations such as Entebbe, Lusaka, Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro are being reported, alongside disruption to long-haul connections to cities including London, Amsterdam and New York.
Passengers stranded overnight as disruption extends into new week
The timing of the industrial action, beginning on the busy weekend of August 30 and stretching into Monday, August 31, has left hundreds of passengers spending the night at JKIA and nearby hotels while waiting for clarity on revised schedules. Local coverage notes that some airlines, including Kenya Airways and its partners, have arranged accommodation and transfers for customers stranded by late-night cancellations and lengthy delays, while others have focused on rebooking onto later services as capacity permits.
Images and eyewitness accounts shared via local outlets show crowded departure halls, passengers sleeping on terminal floors and long queues at customer service desks as travellers seek information on alternative routings or refunds. Some domestic and regional passengers have opted to delay trips entirely, while those with urgent international travel have scrambled to secure seats on limited unaffected departures or on carriers routing via alternative hubs.
The extended disruption is proving particularly difficult for families with children, elderly travellers and those on tight connection windows. Several reports highlight cases where passengers missed onward flights to Europe and North America after initial JKIA departures left several hours behind schedule, compounding the sense of uncertainty across the airport.
As of the morning of August 31, no firm timeline for a full restoration of normal operations has emerged in public reports, leaving airlines, airport operators and passengers to plan around a fluid situation in which schedules may change at short notice.
Regional and international ripple effects
JKIA serves as one of East and Central Africa’s key aviation hubs, and the slowdown in air traffic control services has had an immediate impact on regional connectivity. Published reports show that carriers operating to and from Nairobi, including Kenya Airways, RwandAir and other regional airlines, have delayed or cancelled flights as they wait for clearance slots or seek to avoid extended ground time in Nairobi.
Some neighbouring hubs are beginning to feel the knock-on effects as well. Airlines with through-passengers connecting via Nairobi are facing repositioning challenges for aircraft and crews, while codeshare partners are working to adjust ticketing and rebooking policies in response to the evolving situation. Tour operators serving safari destinations in Kenya and Tanzania report itinerary changes for travellers who were due to connect through Nairobi on time-sensitive segments, such as onward flights to coastal resorts or national parks.
Air cargo flows are also being disrupted, with freight operators experiencing delays in uplift and transhipment at JKIA. Perishable exports such as flowers, fresh produce and seafood, which typically rely on tight timelines to reach European and Middle Eastern markets, are particularly exposed to extended hold times on the ground. Logistics providers are monitoring capacity and schedule adjustments by Kenya Airways and other cargo-capable carriers to determine the impact on export commitments in the days ahead.
Given JKIA’s role as a regional hub, aviation analysts note that prolonged ATC-related disruption could temporarily shift some traffic to alternative gateways in the region. However, the complexity of rerouting established networks means that most carriers are likely to wait for clarity on the duration of the strike before implementing significant structural changes.
Travellers urged to monitor flights and prepare for ongoing disruption
With negotiations between the Kenya Aviation Workers Union and aviation-sector employers still reported as unresolved, travel advisories from airport authorities and airlines continue to urge passengers to check flight status frequently and leave additional time for airport formalities. Publicly available statements from KAA advise customers to contact their airlines directly for the latest operational updates and to expect continued delays while the go-slow and strike actions persist.
For passengers booked on Kenya Airways, travel experts recommend using digital tools such as the airline’s “Manage Booking” functions and mobile notifications, where available, to track changes to departure times, gate allocations and connection windows. Those with non-flexible tickets or complex itineraries may wish to liaise with travel agents or tour operators to explore rebooking options, particularly if journeys involve tight international connections or time-sensitive commitments.
Industry observers note that while airlines are working to minimise disruption, the nature of ATC-related issues means that last-minute changes are likely to continue until staffing and operational capacity at JKIA stabilise. Travellers planning to transit through Nairobi in the coming days are being encouraged in published commentary to build in wider buffers between flights and to consider travel insurance options that cover missed connections and lengthy delays.
As the industrial dispute unfolds, the situation at JKIA remains dynamic. Passengers, airlines and airport operators are closely watching developments in labour talks for signs of a resolution that could restore normal traffic flows through one of Africa’s busiest aviation gateways.
Kenya Airways customer update on JKIA delays
CGTN Africa coverage of JKIA flight delays