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Kenya Airways flights resume after weather-related diversions in Nairobi

A Kenya Airways Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. (Photo: AFP)

By Lucy Mumbi | Sunday, April 28, 2024

The resumption comes after an incident on Saturday night when flight KQ613 from Mombasa to Nairobi was forced to return to the coastal city, cancelling its landing at JKIA due to heavy rains and low visibility.

Kenya Airways has announced that all flights previously diverted due to poor visibility caused by severe weather conditions in Nairobi have landed safely.

In an update on Sunday, the airline stated that operations are gradually resuming, although some delays remain as the system recovers.

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“Further to our communication on flight disruptions due to severe weather in Nairobi, we wish to update our customers that all our diverted flights landed safely in Nairobi. Our scheduled flights out of Nairobi also departed, though with delays,” the Airline said.

“We are still recovering from the disruption, and customers are advised to expect some delays in their departure and arrival times.”

They however noted that they expect normal operations to resume by the end of the day.

The resumption comes after an incident on Saturday night when flight KQ613 from Mombasa to Nairobi was forced to return to the coastal city, cancelling its landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) due to heavy rains and low visibility.

Apology

The airline extended an apology for the inconvenience experienced by travellers and assured them that their top priority is the safety and wellbeing of the crew and their customers.

Affected customers needing further assistance or information have been urged to contact Kenya Airways via phone at +254 711 024 747, WhatsApp at +254 705 474 747, or email at Customer.relations@kenya-airways.com.

Amid these flight disruptions, JKIA itself has been struggling with operational challenges due to flooding.

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) was compelled to reroute access to the airport after the Tower Avenue Underpass became submerged, significantly affecting the main entryway and disrupting normal traffic flow.

KAA's security teams, alongside police forces, responded swiftly by cordoning off the affected areas to secure the safety of airport users and personnel.

The Authority’s Managing Director Henry Kegoye, cited ongoing refurbishment works as the cause of recent leaks in airport roofs, with further improvements planned through June 2024.

However, this is not the first instance of infrastructure woes at JKIA. In November 2023, flooding and power outages raised serious concerns about the airport's capacity to handle adverse conditions.

A significant power outage in 2023 led to the dismissal of key KAA officials, including the then Managing Director, Alex Gitari, and General Engineering Manager, Fred Odawo.

More recently, a blackout last December prompted Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to initiate a police investigation into potential acts of sabotage, highlighting ongoing vulnerabilities at the airport.