Rwandan airline company, RwandAir, has announced the suspension of its flights to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi because of ongoing protests by airport workers in Kenya.
These workers began protesting to oppose the Kenyan government’s decision to hand over the management of Jomo Kenyatta Airport to an Indian company, Adani Group, for the next 30 years. The workers fear this decision will lead to job losses.
However, Kenyan President William Ruto recently explained that the government is not selling the airport, but rather leasing it to private companies to help develop it. Ruto expressed his wish for Kenya to follow in the footsteps of countries like Rwanda and Ethiopia, which have modern airports.
Due to the protests, many airlines, including RwandAir, have suspended their flights to and from Nairobi.
In a statement posted on its social media platform X, RwandAir said, “Due to ongoing protests by workers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, our flights WB452/WB453 KGL/NBO/KGL scheduled for September 11, 2024, have been canceled.”
RwandAir added, “Affected passengers are advised to reschedule their flights for a later date. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by these changes.”
The protests in Kenya started after the Kenyan High Court temporarily suspended the decision to lease Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Adani Enterprises on September 10.
However, if the court approves the lease on October 8, 2024, Adani Enterprises will manage the airport for 30 years. They plan to build a new terminal and runways, although many Kenyans are strongly opposed to the deal.
