Aviation strike: Inside 15-hour meeting that led to reopening of skies
A 15-hour negotiation session between the Kenyan government and aviation workers successfully ended a strike that had paralyzed major airports. The agreement followed intervention from President William Ruto and addressed union demands regarding working conditions and leadership changes.
Why it matters
The resolution of the strike restores critical transport infrastructure, preventing further economic damage to the country's aviation and tourism sectors.
A Kenya Airways plane takes to the skies after taking off from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, on September 1, 2026 as aviation workers resumed work.
The negotiations to end the aviation workers’ strike were expected to take about three hours, but they stretched on for 15, with the government and the workers' union trading demands late into the night as pressure mounted to reopen the country’s major airports.
By the time the two sides finally signed a return-to-work agreement at about 5am on Tuesday, President William Ruto was preparing to leave for Zambia to attend President Hakainde Hichilema’s inauguration, having been drawn into the negotiations.
The disruption at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Moi International Airport in Mombasa, Kisumu International Airport and Eldoret International Airport had paralysed domestic and international flights, with airlines forced to cancel, delay or reschedule flights.
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