Thousands of passengers have been stranded in Kenya’s four main airports after a strike by workers caused major disruption to flights.
Workers say they are unhappy over a planned merger between the airport authority and the national airline.
About 60 flights failed to take off at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport – East Africa’s largest. Some planes reportedly left without passengers.
Airports in Mombasa, Eldoret and Kisumu are also disrupted.
The government has condemned the strike as illegal and Kenyan air force personnel have been brought in to normalise the situation.
Riot police were deployed and they used tear gas and batons to disperse striking workers at the capital’s main airport, local media say.
Kenya Airways says that the situation is now improving, with flights to Amsterdam, London and Mumbai boarded and ready to leave, while domestic flights were “set to resume shortly”.
A key figure in organising the strike, Kenya Aviation Workers Union secretary-general Moss Ndiema, has been arrested.
Frustrated passengers have complained of a lack of information and support from the authorities, with travellers waiting for hours with no update on their flights.
What message is @KenyaAirports passing? Do you recognise this is an international airport and you are inconveniencing travellers including infants, young children, expecting mothers & old people. Could you not find other ways or raising your griverncies? #JKIA
— Ali (@Earlie_tall) March 6, 2019
