Strike at Kenya's airport causing flight delays as Adani deal suspended

A strike by workers at Kenya's main international airport in Nairobi has caused flight delays and cancellations for both departing and arriving passengers, Kenya Airways said on Wednesday.

The biggest union of Kenya's aviation workers said they would take industrial action on Wednesday over a proposed deal for India's Adani Group to lease Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) for 30 years in exchange.

The Kenya Aviation Workers Union, which represents airport workers, said the proposed agreement announced in July would lead to job losses and bring in non-Kenyan workers.

Kenya's government has said the airport is operating above capacity and needs modernising but that it is not for sale and that no decision has been made on whether to proceed with what it calls a proposed public-private partnership to upgrade the site.

 

Kenya's high court temporarily blocked the Adani proposal on Tuesday to allow time for a judicial review challenging the lease.