Kenya’s aviation workers have suspended a nationwide strike, allowing flights to resume after two days of major disruption at airports across the country, including Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The union signed an agreement with the government on Tuesday. Officials promised to address a pay dispute and other unresolved grievances, and workers agreed to return to duty immediately.
Since Sunday, hundreds of travelers had been stuck at JKIA, one of East Africa’s busiest hubs. The slowdown forced Kenya Airways to delay some flights by more than six hours and cancel others. The airline said passengers could change or reschedule without penalty.
Union leader Moss Ndiema told reporters they were “calling off our strike action” and urged members to start clearing the backlog of flights. Transport Minister Davis Chirchir acknowledged the standoff had caused “huge” economic losses, though officials have not released figures yet.
Passengers described long waits. Mendel Goldman, who was headed to a wedding in Florida, said his flight was canceled after 12 hours at the airport and the next available seat was not until the next night. William Obino, 22, said updates were slow and his travel plans were thrown off.
This is not the first time JKIA has faced walkouts. A similar dispute in February centered on collective bargaining and the use of volunteers. The airport handled about nine million passengers last year and serves as a key connection point between Africa and the rest of the world.
Operations are now starting to normalize as staff return to their posts.
