Operations back to normal at JKIA, says KAA

Normal operations have been fully restored at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has stated.

KAA, in a statement to newsrooms on Thursday, apologised to all passengers, airport users and the general public following the disruptions experienced on Wednesday after Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) went on strike.

“We also appreciate the support accorded to us by the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing & Urban development and Public works, various security agencies, airlines and all other stakeholders in helping to restore normal operations at JKIA,” read the statement.

KAWU, led by their Secretary General Moss Ndiema on Wednesday morning engaged police in running battles opposing the handover of management of the airport to Kenya Airways (KQ).

The workers accused the management of KQ of financial wastage saying the airline continues to pay hefty salaries to senior managers and consultants.

Police lobbed teargas canisters at the striking workers and some passengers were caught in the fracas that left six KQ staff members seriously injured.

Nairobi flights that were scheduled to land at JKIA were diverted to Mombasa and others to as far as Tanzania even as dozens more passengers were stranded at the Kisumu and Eldoret airports.

Operations, however, soon began returning to normal after a visit by Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia who termed the strike a criminal act.

Military personnel then stepped in to man the counters and KAWU officials were detained for ignoring a court injunction that suspended their strike.

KAWU members on Thursday also promised to call off the strike if their members, including Secretary General Moss Ndiema, who were taken into custody are released.

Appearing before the Parliamentary Labour Committee, the workers stated that they were ready to engage KQ and KAA and go back to work “but the person supposed to lead us is in custody.”