With a number of foreigners who were either scheduled to jet in or out of the country for their businesses, the strike experience gives Nairobi unpleasant taste.
The first impression is the lasting impression, they say.
The disruption of flights at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi following aviation workers’ strike, the inconveniences caused may negatively impact on the Kenya’ image.
Since speculations went viral on proposed Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) takeover by the Kenya Airways (KQ), the aviation workers were reported to have been on a go slow as a way of protesting the move.
Following the which has paralysed operations at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya Airways (KQ) has advised all its passengers scheduled to fly out from 11am Wednesday not to go to the airport until further communication.
In a notice to all its passenger KQ advised travellers not to go to JKIA as no operations would be going on.
No plane has landed at the largest airport in Kenya and East Africa since 3am, with a Rwanda Air plane that was supposed to pick up passengers leaving empty.
By 8am, tens of flights into and out of the airport had also been hit by the job boycott that is threatening to paralyse air transport in the country.
The flight schedule on the Kenya Airports Authority website showed that at least six inbound flights, which were set to land between 1.55am and 6.59am, were still marked ‘scheduled’.
Similarly, at least 26 outbound flights were still marked scheduled several hours after they should have departed.
Long queues have formed at the airport’s gates, with some saying that some of the airport’s entry points had been closed by the workers on go-slow, prompting a heavy deployment of police.
Fire engines have also been withdrawn from some runways, with planes that were supposed to leave the East African aviation hub remaining grounded.
Hundreds of passengers are stranded at the airport after their flights were delayed or rescheduled, with many taking to social media to vent their frustration.
“We are stranded at JKIA since 3am. All flights grounded,” Kimany Kiongo posted on Twitter.
“Been here since 3am… no entry into the terminal at #JKIA due to strike action,” Nambi Sharon tweeted.
In a Twitter post, Kenya Airways advised some of its customers not to come to the airport in a bid to ease the chaos.
The operations affected by the strike include aircraft maintenance, cabin crew services, air traffic control, security, fire and rescue, ground flight services, engineering and finance.
The aviation workers went on strike even after Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) had suspended it.