At least 24 Kenya Airways flights experienced delays following a strike at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Wednesday. The airline's chief executive, Sebastian Mikosz, stated that while management had not yet quantified the financial impact, operations were expected to normalize by late afternoon. "The morning rush was most affected, but we anticipate resuming flights to Mombasa, London, and Dubai within 30 minutes," Mikosz said. He emphasized that passengers seeking to adjust schedules would not face additional fees.
The strike emerged from tensions surrounding a proposed merger between Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and Kenya Airways. Cabinet Secretary for Transport Macharia James questioned the scale of the disruption caused by the merger proposal. Earlier in the month, the National Assembly's Public Investment Committee suspended the planned acquisition of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by the state-owned carrier, citing concerns about KAA's financial stability. Committee chairperson Abdulswamad Nassir warned the deal could jeopardize the aviation regulator's profitability.
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