A go-slow by aviation workers at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) has escalated into widespread flight disruption across Kenya's main international gateway, leaving thousands of passengers stranded since it began on Sunday, August 30, 2026. As of Monday, August 31, Kenya Airways was warning travelers to expect delays of more than six hours on some services, with the disruption showing no clear sign of resolution.
What's happening
Aviation workers affiliated with the Kenya Aviation Workers Union began industrial action on August 30, according to multiple Kenyan and international outlets. Staff linked to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, the Kenya Airports Authority, and Kenya Airways subsidiary Jambojet have scaled back critical services — particularly within air traffic control — reducing the airport's capacity to process arrivals and departures.
Kenya Airways, JKIA's home carrier and the airport's dominant operator, confirmed the disruption in a customer update posted to its corporate website on August 30, citing "operational constraints within Air Traffic Control services" and warning of average delays of two to three hours across its schedule. By August 31, delays on some services had stretched beyond six hours, and the airline began cancelling and rescheduling flights as the backlog grew.
Why it's happening
The Kenya Aviation Workers Union has linked the action to unresolved grievances, including stalled collective bargaining negotiations and concerns over staffing, working conditions, and pay. The union had issued earlier strike notices in 2026 over similar disputes, and Kenya's aviation sector has seen repeated episodes of labor unrest and related legal battles in recent years. Reports indicate that while JKIA's runways and physical infrastructure remain operational, reduced staffing in air traffic control and ground services is what's creating the bottleneck.
Who's affected
JKIA is Kenya's primary international gateway and Kenya Airways' main hub, meaning the disruption has knock-on effects well beyond domestic Kenyan travel. Long-haul routes have been particularly exposed — flight-tracking data has shown Kenya Airways' Nairobi–New York service running well behind its scheduled early-morning departure, with knock-on effects for passengers making onward connections. Regional connections across East and Central Africa that route through Nairobi have also been affected, along with services from international partner airlines that use JKIA as a transfer point.
What travelers should do
If you have a flight booked through JKIA in the coming days, a few precautions are worth taking:
Check your flight status directly through Kenya Airways or your airline before heading to the airport — delays have been running well beyond scheduled departure times, and the situation has continued to evolve day by day.
Build in significantly longer connection buffers if you're routing through Nairobi, especially for tightly timed regional links such as onward flights to safari destinations in East Africa, where missed connections can mean losing an entire day.
Sign up for your airline's flight alerts and monitor its official customer advisories directly, since schedule changes have been happening on short notice as airlines thin out departures to manage the backlog.
If you're arriving in Nairobi to connect onward, consider whether an overnight buffer is worth building into your itinerary rather than a same-day connection, given reports of passengers stranded overnight during the worst of the disruption.
What happens next
As of this writing, the go-slow remains active, and there's no confirmed resolution timeline. The dispute echoes earlier labor unrest in Kenya's aviation sector, including strike notices earlier in 2026 over promotion structures and pay, suggesting the underlying tensions between aviation staff and management extend beyond this single incident. Travelers with upcoming plans through JKIA should treat delays as an ongoing risk rather than a short-lived one-day disruption, and should watch for updates directly from Kenya Airways and the Kenya Airports Authority rather than assuming normal operations have resumed.
FAQ
Is JKIA still operating? Yes. Runways and infrastructure remain operational — the disruption stems from reduced staffing in air traffic control and ground services, not an airport closure.
How long are the delays? Kenya Airways has warned of delays exceeding six hours on some services as of August 31, with average delays of two to three hours across its broader schedule.
Should I cancel my trip to Kenya? Most flights are still operating, just with significant delays. Travelers with tight onward connections — particularly for safari trips relying on same-day regional links — should build in extra buffer time rather than cancel outright.
What's causing the strike? Aviation workers say the action stems from unresolved grievances over staffing levels, working conditions, and stalled pay negotiations with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and Kenya Airports Authority.