Nairobi News

Several flights scheduled to depart from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) were affected on Monday morning due to technical issues reported in one flight that was about to take off.

According to the Kenya Airports Authority, the runway at the airport has been temporarily closed due to an aborted takeoff by a Cargo plane that developed technical issues.

“Jambo! We would like to confirm that the runway at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) has been temporarily closed due to an aborted takeoff by a Cargo plane that developed technical issues this morning,” Kenya Airports Authority said in a statement.

Also read: Gold Heist at JKIA: Two tons of gold worth Sh15.1b goes missing

It added that its top priority is the safety of all the passengers.

“We are working closely with the relevant authorities to resolve this situation as quickly and safely as possible.”

As a result of the runway closure, all incoming and outgoing flights have been temporarily suspended.

“We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience and understanding.”

All the passengers who had been scheduled to depart this morning have been asked to contact their respective airlines for further information on the status of their flights.

According to Kenya Airline Pilots Association member and captain Kang’aru Karimi’s post on Twitter, the delays were caused by Singapore Airlines flight SQ7343 which was ready to depart from Nairobi to Amsterdam after being hit by a bird.

“Singapore Airlines flight SQ7343 from NBO to AMS suffered severe engine damage due to a bird strike leading to a rejected takeoff. Flights delays into and out of Nairobi’s JKIA expected this morning.”

Also read: Police launch probe after passenger dies at JKIA while waiting to board