- In a typical airport, there are flight schedulers who coordinate timings and air traffic controllers, among several others.
- However, airline staff are not on strike as they are not KAA workers. Their work is ticket issuance and some are inside an aircraft as pilots and flight attendants
Image: FELIX KIPKEMOI
Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) staff have today made good their threat to down tools in protest over the planned leasing of the JKIA to Indian firm Adani Group.
What began as a slow Tuesday night degenerated into a full-blown protest Wednesday morning, completely paralysing normal operations at the facility.
However, airline staff are not on strike as they are not KAA workers. Their work is ticket issuance and some are inside an aircraft as pilots and flight attendants
JKIA is the country's major airport and the busiest in the region.
Scheduled flights had to be delayed and others cancelled as a result.
It is estimated that more than 1,000 staff work at JKIA, with their roles varying depending on the sections each is assigned.
In a typical airport, there are flight schedulers who coordinate timings and air traffic controllers, among several others, who ensure optimal operations of aircraft.
The role of these flight controllers is so critical in ensuring the safe and efficient movement of planes within controlled airspace to avoid collisions.
By noon Wednesday, at least eight flights to various destinations had been cancelled. This is how crucial their roles are.
Key stages
From the moment you arrive at the terminal to the time you board your flight, several key stages and staff members are involved in ensuring a smooth journey.
The first staff you meet are screening guys, who are KAA employees, then now you go to the ticket attendant of the airline you booked stationed at the counters.
Their work is mainly to assist passengers with ticketing, baggage check-in, and boarding passes. After the ticket is processed, the passenger proceeds to the immigration section, where passports and travel documents are checked.
These officers also process international arrivals and departures, checking passports and visas. Then, there are security screeners whose work is to ensure the safety of the travellers. They inspect luggage and conduct metal detector scans.
Customer service representatives at the airport also play a vital role as they help with inquiries and resolve travel issues.
On occasions when a passenger has missed a flight, the customer service rep helps with rebooking.
Other staff members at the airport are gate agents who manage boarding procedures, flight attendants who handle in-flight services, and luggage handlers in charge of transport.
Their work is to load luggage onto aircraft after it has been tagged and also help in offloading. At the JKIA, these workers are employed by aviation companies contracted to provide these services.
Some of those companies are Tradewinds, Eurocraft Agencies, and Swissport, among others.
Their services range from cabin cleaning and dressing, lavatory services, portable water supply, ground, cargo handling and logistic services, passenger mobility, and security services.
Other services they offer are flight planning, lead control, towing and pushback, and landing permit application.
Technicians who maintain aircraft also at the airport ensure operational efficiency.
Shop stewards who are set to be affected by the planned lease agreement were also part of the striking workers.
The Adani Group seeks to raise its revenue from such retail outlets and duty-free shops, among other sources at the airport.