Kenya’s main aviation union said it would call a strike from next Monday over a proposed deal with an Indian company to develop the country’s biggest airport — industrial action that could cause major disruption in the East African travel hub.

The Kenya Aviation Workers Union, which represents airport workers, said the proposed agreement announced last month with Adani Airport Holdings would lead to job losses and bring in non-Kenyan workers. It called on the government to scrap the “unlawful intended sale of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Adani Airport Holdings” in a notice on Monday.

Kenya’s government has said the airport is not for sale and that no decision had been made on whether to proceed with what it called a proposed public-private partnership to upgrade the hub.

An Adani Group spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.

Any walkout could also cause disruption to national carrier Kenya Airways.

“We shall reconsider our intention to engage in industrial action ... only if the Adani Airport Holdings deal is abandoned,” Kenya Aviation Workers Union secretary-general Moss Ndiema said.

He repeated a call for the entire board of the Kenya Airports Authority to resign.

Reuters