- Title: Passengers stranded at Kenya's main airport as strike enters second day
- Date: 17th February 2026
- Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (FEBRUARY 17, 2026) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF JOMO KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (JKIA) DEPARTURES TERMINAL VARIOUS OF PASSENGERS WALKING WITH THEIR LUGGAGE TOWARDS DEPARTURES TERMINAL (SOUNDBITE) (English)TRAVELLER, THERESA KAMAU, SAYING: “We were to take off at 5:30(pm) (1430GMT), but we didn’t. Five hours later we were told to come out of the plane, yeah, pi
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: Aviation JKIA Jomo Kenyatta International Airport KQ Kenya Strike Union Workers
- Location: NAIROBI, KENYA
- City: NAIROBI, KENYA
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: Africa,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001608817022026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Passengers were stranded at Kenya’s main airport on Tuesday (February 17) as a strike by air traffic controllers entered a second day, leaving many waiting for hours and others unsure whether their flights would take off at all.
The strike has caused major disruption at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, one of Africa’s busiest hubs.
Theresa Kamau, who was travelling to London for work, said she boarded her flight at 5:30 p.m. (1430 GMT) on Monday but remained on the plane for five hours before passengers were told to disembark. “We were to take off at 5:30 p.m., but we didn’t. Five hours later we were told to come out of the plane,” she said. “We’ve been here since yesterday.”
Ghanaian passenger Harry Frimpong said he and his brother were unable to check in for their flight on Tuesday morning. “They told us they can’t check us in because the immigration might not allow us to go through because of the strike,” he said. “We have to stay until 6 p.m. (1500 GMT) where they will check us in for the 10 p.m. (1900 GMT) flight, or we go and come back.”
Some passengers said they were unsure whether to remain at the airport or return home.
“I feel so bad because I had already planned to travel today,” said Kenyan passenger Betty Wambui. “I am a bit confused now because I don’t know what to do.”
The Kenya Aviation Workers Union launched the strike on Monday (February 16) despite a court order stopping it. The union accuses the aviation authority of failing to conclude a collective bargaining agreement and keeping staff on temporary terms. Government officials have called for talks to try to resolve the dispute.
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