Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), a key regional transport hub, has been hit by a nationwide go-slow strike by aviation sector workers demanding better working conditions and implementation of a previously agreed deal.
Kenya Airways said in its latest update that due to "the industrial action by air traffic control workers", it is experiencing delays of more than six hours, and the flight backlog has forced it to cancel some departures. The national carrier apologised for the disruption and said passengers who would like to change or reschedule their flights could do so without a penalty.
RwandAir also announced on Monday that it had cancelled two flights due to "operational constraints affecting air traffic control services" at the airport, following earlier cancellations on Sunday.
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed a host of delayed, cancelled or diverted flights.
A new round of talks between unions and airport managers was due to take place on Monday, after discussions broke up a day earlier without agreement. The airports authority and Kenya Airways had warned on Sunday that departing flights may be delayed.
Passengers have been waiting for hours, with some spending the night in and around the check-in areas. Mendel Goldman, travelling to a wedding in Florida, told Reuters that his flight had been cancelled after several delays. "The earliest flight they can get us is only tomorrow night, so we've got to wait," he said, adding that he had been waiting for 12 hours.