KAA closes JKIA runway, suspends all flights after bird strike
Planes on the runway at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, on June 7, 2017.
The Kenya Airports Authority has closed the runway at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi and suspended all incoming and outgoing flights following technical issues.
The KAA took these actions after an aborted takeoff by a Sigapore Airlines cargo plane, which resulted from a bird strike.
The plane heading to Amsterdam in the Netherlands developed technical issues.
In a statement, the KAA said, “Our top priority is the safety of all passengers and 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."
It added, "We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience and understanding during this time. We advise all passengers to contact their respective airlines for further information on the status of their flights."
Fourteen months ago, the KAA temporarily closed the JKIA runway owing to a mechanical failure that left an airplane stranded on the landing strip, preventing flights from landing and taking off.
The incident in February last year saw all inbound flights to the airport redirected to Mombasa and Dar es Salam in Tanzania.
In non-emergency cases, especially during off-peak hours, the KAA routinely partially closes the runway for maintenance works as part of expansion and modernisation plans.
