Hundreds of travellers stranded in Nairobi airport strike

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Hundreds of travelers were stranded at Nairobi's international airport Wednesday as riot police were deployed and teargas fired to disperse striking workers.

With flights grounded since midnight, passengers were advised Wednesday morning not to come to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, East Africa's busiest, until further notice, according to the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA).

"Kenya Airways regrettably wishes to inform its customers and the general public that due to the illegal strike by Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KUWA), the airline will be experiencing disruptions in normal flight operations," a company statement said.

Inside the terminals, strikers faced off with police who fired teargas as they moved in to arrest union officials they accused of inciting workers.

Passengers waiting for flights, some for hours, were asked to leave the airport and gathered in parking and waiting areas outside the building.

Kenya Airways's CEO Sebastian Mikosz (C) reacts after speaking to media during a strike by the airline workers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, March 6, 2019. / VCG Photo

"I have been here since 3:00 am, and there is no flight, there is no information, we have just been told now to wait for communication," stranded passenger Mercy Mwai told AFP.

Another, Christine, questioned, "Why are police using unnecessary force with teargas at an airport?" Some passengers received medical treatment on-site for tear gas inhalation, according to an AFP journalist at the airport.

The workers, who had not announced their labor action beforehand, are angry about the planned takeover of the airport, operated by the state-run KAA, by national carrier Kenya Airways. But Transport Minister James Macharia said workers need not worry.

"What they were fearing is that the proposed merger between KQ (the acronym for Kenya Airways) and KAA will result in job losses but we gave assurances that that will not happen," he told journalists at the airport and promised flights will resume shortly.

Passengers gather outside Kenya Airways's departure terminal due to a strike by airline workers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, March 6, 2019. / VCG Photo

"So this (strike) is completely uncalled for because the deal has not happened."

According to the KAA, more than 7.6 million passengers and 313,000 tons of cargo passed through JKIA in more than 111,000 aircraft movements in 2017.

The airport contributes to just over five percent of Kenya's gross domestic product.

Kenya Airways chief executive Sebastian Mikosz said 24 departing flights and two arrivals were affected by the strike, but "we expect the situation to normalize during the day."

"We are set to resume operations, although the process is a bit slow," he said. "Our flights to London, Dubai, and Mumbai will be departing shortly."

(Cover image: Passengers are blocked from entering Kenya Airways's departure terminal due to the strike, March 6, 2019. / VCG Photo )

Source(s): AFP