After a problematic day, with many inconveniences for local and foreign travellers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, due to the strike, which had been announced a long time ago but not in the manner and at the times that could have been expected, the blockade of flights and passenger embarkation and disembarkation operations at the airport terminals seem to have been lifted for now.
The civil aviation workers' union (Kawu) met with the government authorities to get clarification on the situation of the alleged agreement in place or already finalised with the Indian company Adani Group for the sale of the airport's management for the next 30 years.
Operations gradually resumed yesterday afternoon and some of the passengers who had been stranded outside the terminals since Tuesday evening and forced to bivouac in the open without the comfort of a minimum of assistance, such as blankets and water, with bars and shops closed and no information, were boarded. These included Italians who were departing on flights operated by Kenya Airways (KLM and Airfrance), while the group of 15 people flying with Egypt Air had to be transferred to a hotel, organised by the same company. Other Italians arriving in Nairobi, after hours of waiting since the morning, managed to leave for the coast.
During the meeting between the trade unions and the authorities, an understanding was reached for a truce, pending whether the workers' demands and assurances about their future will be addressed in the right way.

DEMANDS AND NEGOTIATIONS

On the negotiating table is the possible possibility that the Indian giant, which operates 38 airports in India, may have complete decision-making autonomy regarding the dismissal of current employees and to renegotiate new contracts at their will and demand.
But there is also another battle that will be played out in the courts, with the High Court holding petitions from the National Bar Association (LSK) and a number of human rights organisations, asking them to consider Adani's financial soundness, the impact of the contract on the country's economy, and clarity on the whole process of an ‘affaire’ that will bring money into the state's coffers that should turn into benefits for the population and at the same time improve airport facilities, without burdening the treasury.
In the meantime it is hoped that any further proceedings and disputes can be dealt with in the appropriate fora and not turn into an odyssey for those who lightly choose a holiday in Kenya. Of note is the excellent work of assistance and comfort provided by the Italian Embassy, which since yesterday morning has been contacting its compatriots, with staff members going to the scene and the office in Nairobi in contact with the authorities to point out the situation and inconveniences of passengers of Italian nationality.