Passengers departing from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport faced delays of up to three hours on Sunday as Kenya Airways reported disruptions linked to ongoing air traffic control challenges.
The national carrier said the delays were affecting departures from JKIA, Kenya’s main international aviation hub, and apologised to passengers whose travel plans had been disrupted.
“We are currently experiencing delays of 2-3 hours for departures out of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) due to ongoing air traffic control challenges,” Kenya Airways said in a customer update.
The airline said it was working with aviation authorities and other airport stakeholders to ease the disruption while maintaining safe flight operations.
“Our teams are working with the aviation authorities and relevant airport stakeholders to ensure safe operations and minimise the inconvenience and disruption to our customers’ travels,” the airline said.
Passengers urged to check with airlines
Kenya Airways advised affected passengers to contact its Customer Excellence team for assistance and to remain patient as efforts to restore normal operations continued.
The airline also said it would provide further updates as the situation developed.
“As this is a developing situation, we will keep you updated as soon as we have new developments,” it said.
The disruption came as several flights at JKIA and other airports were affected by industrial action involving staff from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).
Several flights scheduled to leave from JKIA from around 8 a.m. were still on the ground hours later, leaving passengers waiting for information on revised departure times.
KAA confirms delays at airports
The Kenya Airports Authority also acknowledged delays affecting some departing flights at its airports.
In a statement, KAA said it was working with aviation agencies, airlines and other stakeholders to manage the disruption and keep airport operations moving.
The authority urged passengers to check directly with their airlines for the latest information on individual flights.
The disruption adds pressure to an already busy travel hub. JKIA serves as Kenya’s main international gateway and is the operating base of Kenya Airways.
For passengers travelling on Sunday, the advice remains simple: check flight status with the airline before heading to the airport and allow extra time for possible delays.
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