NAIROBI

A planned strike by flight crew at Kenya’s international airport has been postponed for two weeks to “give dialogue a chance,” a spokesman said.

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About 10,000 members of the Kenya Aviation Workers Union had planned to strike work starting today as the Kenyan government plans to sign an investment deal with India’s Adani Group for the expansion and operation of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.

“After consultations, we have decided to postpone our strike for two weeks to give dialogue a chance,” union general secretary Moss Ndiema told AFP, adding that a meeting with the transport ministry would take place tomorrow.

The union had previously spoken out against the deal, claiming it was an attempt to secretly privatize the airport.

The strike will now begin on September 2, “unless the talks bear fruit,” Ndiema said, without giving further details.

Under the proposal, Adani would invest $1.85 billion to expand the airport in return for operating it for 30 years, according to documents seen by AFP.

According to the airport operator Kenya Airport Authority (KAA), Adani will build a second runway and modernize the passenger terminal.

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The Kenyan government defended the agreement, saying it was a necessary measure to rehabilitate the JKIA, one of Africa’s busiest hubs, which is frequently plagued by power outages and leaky roofs.

KAA said last month that the deal would be subject to “technical, financial and legal reviews and the necessary due process.”