Kenya Airways(KQ) has announced that it lost at least Kes 80 million during the protests against the government’s deal with Adani Company regarding the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)takeover.

According to KQ’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO)Allan Kilavuka, the flight disruptions witnessed during the strike caused the airline to suffer huge losses.

Speaking on Monday, Kilavuka stated the airline was forced to pay for compensation and handle travelers' flight rebooking as some flights were delayed due to the strike.

“Strikes are very bad for us. If you look at the cost of time, rebooking, paying compensations, we estimated at least Kes 80 million cost for that one-day disruption,” he stated.

On September 11, 2024, thousands of passengers were left stranded after aviation workers at three major airports downed tools over the government’s plan to lease the airport to the Indian-based company Adani.

The protests of the Kenya Aviation Workers’ Union (KAWU) staff affected operations at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Moi International Airport in Mombasa, and Eldoret International Airport, disrupting domestic and international flights.

The Union workers on strike expressed concerns about job losses should Adani Group take over JKIA operations.