By Olasunkanmi Akinlotan and Dare Olawin
Angry Nigerian passengers stranded at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday protested what they described as neglect by Kenya Airways amid widespread flight disruptions caused by an ongoing strike by air traffic controllers.
The cause of the strike was still sketchy at the time of this report on Monday evening. Videos seen by our correspondents showed heated arguments between Nigerian passengers and airline officials at the airport, as security personnel stood by while the situation escalated.
Among those stranded was Bolaji Tunji, an aide to former Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, who said he had expected to be back in Lagos by 11 am after travelling from the United Kingdom.
Tunji said the prolonged delay had become particularly distressing because a sick child was among the stranded passengers. He said, “I was coming from the UK, and since I landed this morning here in Nairobi, no Kenya Airways flight had departed from this airport.
I am supposed to have arrived in Nigeria at 11 am. In fact, there is a child here who is sick.
“Yes, we learnt that there was a strike, but it looks like it has been resolved because some aeroplanes are taking off. But Kenya Airways have specifically neglected Nigerians, and that is why people are currently protesting here.”
The disruption, however, has been blamed on industrial action by air traffic control workers in Kenya. In an earlier update on its X handle, Kenya Airways said the strike had resulted in delays of more than six hours and created a backlog that forced the airline to reschedule and cancel some flights.
The airline said its teams were working “round the clock” to manage the disruption and minimise its impact on passengers. It advised travellers not to come to the airport unless they had a confirmed flight, adding that passengers could check their flight status through the Kenya Airways website or mobile application.
The airline also said passengers wishing to change or reschedule their flights could do so without penalty. Kenya Airways said, “We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused by this disruption.”
The airline also promised that the safety of its passengers and crew remained its highest priority.
Contacted by one of our correspondents, the spokesman for the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu, said he had reached out to the airline’s country manager, who assured him that the affected Nigerians would be attended to.
Achimugu explained that the disruption was linked to the ongoing air traffic control strike, which he said was affecting flights across Kenya, rather than Nairobi alone. “There is an ongoing strike at the airport, which means that almost all flights were affected. The strike is not just affecting Nairobi but the entire Kenya,” he said.
Giving an indication of the scale of the disruption, Achimugu said even the Kenya Airways country manager was affected. Achimugu added that he had specifically raised concerns about the welfare of the stranded Nigerian passengers with the airline.
He stated, “In fact, I called the country manager, and he himself is currently in Mombasa, and he is unable to get a flight back to Nairobi and then to Nigeria,” he said.
“I have also told him that if Nigerians have not been given refreshments, they should go and give them refreshments. He confirmed to me that refreshments are being served at Gate 23 as we speak.”
