RwandAir has cancelled flights bound for Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on September 11, due to a strike at the Kenyan airport, the national carrier announced on the same day.

"Due to the ongoing strike by airport staff at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, our flights WB452/WB453 KGL/NBO/KGL on 11 September 2024 are cancelled. All affected passengers will be rebooked on the next available flights. We apologize for any inconvenience caused,” the national carrier announced in a post on its X page.

Media reports indicate that travellers are stranded at the airport after staff at the important transport hub in Kenya started protesting over a controversial decision by the government to lease the airport to Indian company, Adani Enterprises.

Earlier, on Tuesday, The EastAfrican reported that Kenya’s High Court temporarily suspended the proposed plans to lease JKIA to Indian conglomerate Adani Enterprises.

As reported, in a case certified as urgent by the High Court, the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) challenged the push to take over the running of JKIA by the Indian company for a period of 30 years.

The two organisations argued that JKIA is a strategic and profitable national asset and the deal is, therefore, irrational and violates the principles of good governance, accountability, transparency, and prudent and responsible use of public money.

In the deal, the Indian firm would upgrade the airport, including the construction of a second runway and a new passenger terminal under a 30-year build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract.

KHRC and LSK, however, argued that Kenya can independently raise the estimated $1.85 billion or Ksh238 billion needed to expand JKIA without leasing the airport for the stated period.

"Thus, the Adani proposal is unaffordable, threatens job losses, exposes the public, is diproportionate to fiscal risk, and offers no value for money to the taxpayer,” lawyer Dudley Ochiel said in the application.

High Court judge John Chigiti certified the case as urgent and granted temporary order, suspending the deal pending the determination of the case.

The judge directed the case to be mentioned on October 8, to get a judgment date.