The aviation worker strike that disrupted operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi has been resolved. Workers and the Kenya Airports Authority reached a formal agreement on 1 September 2026, ending industrial action that caused flight delays, diversions and passenger disruption during the final weeks of August.
The agreement covers pay terms and working conditions for ground handling and passenger services staff at JKIA. Operations are returning to normal, though travellers departing and arriving in the first few days of September should allow some additional buffer time as the airport works through a backlog of rescheduled and delayed services.
Current Status at JKIA
Airlines are operating scheduled services with minimal deviation as of today, 2 September. Flights that were diverted to Mombasa’s Moi International Airport during the height of the disruption are returning to JKIA routing.
Allow extra time. Check-in and immigration queues at JKIA may run longer than usual through the first week of September as passenger volumes that were backed up during the disruption clear. Arriving at the airport 30–45 minutes earlier than you normally would is advisable for travellers with early-morning departures.
Contact your airline for confirmation. If you are travelling this week, confirm your flight status directly with the airline. Most carriers — Kenya Airways, British Airways, KLM, Ethiopian Airlines, Emirates — are back on their normal schedules, but individual flight checks are sensible given the disruption of the past two weeks.
Transit passengers. JKIA is a major hub for East and Central African connections. If you are transiting through Nairobi, your connecting service has almost certainly resumed normal scheduling, but check-in and security clearance times at the hub may still be running above average.
What Caused the Strike
Ground handling and passenger services workers walked out over pay and conditions, citing a gap between their terms and those of staff employed by some airlines directly. The Kenya Airports Authority began negotiations in mid-August but an agreement was not reached until 1 September. The government ultimately intervened to facilitate the final settlement.
Forward Outlook
Kenya’s aviation sector has been growing strongly. Kenya Airways recently took delivery of additional fleet capacity, and JKIA handles connections across East Africa, the Indian Ocean islands and southern Africa. The resolution of the strike removes the main near-term disruption risk and allows the airport to focus on its capacity expansion programme.
For up-to-date information on flights to and from Nairobi, transport from the airport and what to do if your flight is disrupted, see our practical travel guide for Kenya. Our Nairobi city guide covers accommodation, areas to stay and day trips from the capital.