Hundreds of passengers were stranded at Kenya’s main airport in the capital, Nairobi, as flight disruptions continued for the second day amid a workers’ strike.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is a key regional transport hub.
On Sunday, the airports authority and the national carrier, Kenya Airways, warned departing flights may be delayed.
A new round of talks between unions and airport managers was due to take place on Monday, although discussions broke up a day earlier without agreement.
Aviation sector workers are on a nationwide go-slow strike to demand better working conditions and the implementation of a previously agreed deal.
Those hoping to get on a flight have been stuck at JKIA, with some spending the night in and around the check-in areas waiting for news.
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.
It has apologised for the disruption and said passengers who would like to change or reschedule their flights could do so without a penalty.
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed a host of delayed, cancelled or diverted flights.
RwandAir said on Monday that it had cancelled two flights due to the ongoing “operational constraints affecting air traffic control services” at the airport. This followed earlier cancellations on Sunday.
Mendel Goldman, who was travelling to a wedding in Florida, told the Reuters news agency that his flight had been cancelled, after several delays.
He said he had been waiting for 12 hours.
“The earliest flight they can get us is only tomorrow night, so we’ve got to wait.
“We’re going to try and make most of it, but in the meantime, I’ve been here for 12 hours now, waiting in the airport,” he said.
William Obino, a 22-year-old traveller told the AFP news agency: “Nothing is happening, updates are reaching us late. It’s ruining our itinerary.”
The strike comes after a two-day dispute in February over collective bargaining and the use of volunteers at the airport.
Union officials said they took industrial action because concerns remained unresolved.
The main airport in Nairobi is one of the busiest hubs in the region and serves as a key gateway between the continent and the rest of the world. Last year, it handled about nine million passengers, according to the Kenyan authorities.
It has however seen multiple strikes in recent years as workers push for better conditions.-BBC
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