Two Emirates flights from Dubai to Nairobi have been cancelled on Wednesday, September 11. The affected flights are EK719 and EK721, initially scheduled to depart at 10.30am and 3.55pm, respectively.
According to a statement by the airline, the flights were cancelled due to “industrial action.” Affected passengers will be rebooked to the “next best available flight,” Emirates stated. An evening flight from Nairobi (EK720) to Dubai, scheduled to depart at 4.35pm has also been cancelled, Emirates has confirmed to Khaleej Times.
The airline added that affected passengers can inquire about accommodation at the check-in counter; however, “it’s not guaranteed” that customers will be provided with one.
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The strike by workers at Kenya’s main international airport in Nairobi has caused flight delays and cancellations for incoming and outgoing passengers, Kenya Airways said on Wednesday.
The biggest union of Kenya’s aviation workers said they would take industrial action over a proposed deal for India’s Adani Group to lease Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) for 30 years.
The Kenya Aviation Workers Union said the proposed agreement announced in July would lead to job losses and bring in non-Kenyan workers.
Kenya’s government has also said the airport is operating above capacity and needs modernising but that it is not for sale.
It says that no decision has been made on whether to proceed with what it calls a proposed public-private partnership to upgrade the site.
The Kenya Airports Authority, which is responsible for managing the airport, said minimal operations at JKIA had resumed by 7am (4am GMT) and it was engaging with relevant parties to normalize the situation.
Videos shared on the social media platform X showed hundreds of passengers queuing outside JKIA’s single terminal after the strike began at midnight on Tuesday.
Kenya’s high court on Monday temporarily blocked the Adani proposal, in which the Indian company would build a new runway and upgrade the passenger terminal, to allow time for a judicial review challenging the lease.
(With inputs from Reuters)