Kenya Airways (KQ) recently suffered significant financial losses amounting to approximately KES 80 million due to a strike by aviation workers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on September 11, 2024. The strike was in protest of the government’s proposal to lease operations at JKIA to India’s Adani Group. This industrial action caused delays and cancellations of several flights, severely impacting KQ’s operations.

The airline’s CEO, Allan Kilavuka, explained that the disruptions led to substantial costs from compensations, flight rebookings, and other operational delays. The strike, which affected other major airports in Kenya as well, was organized by the Kenya Aviation Workers’ Union (KAWU), concerned about potential job losses if Adani takes over JKIA’s operations.