Hundreds of travellers found themselves stranded on Wednesday at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Kenya due to a workforce strike provoked by an impending acquisition by an Indian corporation.
The strike, initiated by the Kenyan Aviation Workers Union at midnight, significantly disrupted flights at Nairobi’s JKIA.
AFP reporters observed lengthy lines of passengers outside the airport and a buildup of vehicles attempting to gain access to the area.
The union has declared that the strike will persist until the government abandons its proposal to lease the airport to India’s Adani Group for 30 years in return for a $1.85 billion investment.
“The strike is on and all shifts have been suspended,” union leader Moses Ndiema told workers at the airport.
“Adani must go; that is not optional,” he said.
Kenya Airports Authority said “minimal operations” were observed at 7:00 a.m. (0400 GMT), although data from Flight Radar showed long delays and cancellations of flights within and out of the airport.
Critics contend that the proposal to hand over JKIA to Adani would lead to job losses and deprive taxpayers of potential airport earnings.
More than 5% of Kenya’s GDP comes from the revenue generated by freight and passenger charges at the airport.
Elvis Mushengu, a stranded traveller, informed AFP that he had been waiting overnight.
“They closed the doors at around midnight,” he said. “We don’t know who’s doing the screening or what the procedure is… We’ve not slept; we’re just tired.”
Kenya’s government has justified the Adani agreement as essential for the renovation of JKIA. It is a busy airport in Africa, serving 8.8 million passengers and 380,000 tonnes of cargo in 2022-23.
However, it frequently experiences power outages and roof leaks. According to the Kenya Airports Authority, Adani plans to construct a second runway and modernize the passenger terminal.
Tourism significantly contributes to Kenya’s economy, making up over 10% of GDP in 2022.
The Law Society of Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission successfully obtained a postponement of the Adani deal from the High Court on Monday, contending that it lacked “transparency.”
A final court decision on the deal is yet to be scheduled.