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Fire outbreak on JKIA land
A fire has broken out at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) land along the Eastern Bypass.
The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), however, said the fire had been contained minutes to 10pm, and had not affected planes takeoff and landing.
The fire broke out along the fence within JKIA towards the Embakasi Area towards 75 Airport North Road.
A source at KAA who did not want to be named before the authority takes an official confirmation said the fire might have been caused by a piece of cigarette that was thrown on the dry grass.
Fire breaks out at JKIA Airport along 75 Airport North Road. Fire engines and police are on-site working to contain the blaze and ensure safety.
KAA, in a statement at 9:40pm, said that the fire which broke out at the country's and the region's busiest airport, has been contained and poses no threat to airport operations, including take-off and landing.
“The fire, which affected a non-operational area surrounding the airport, has been successfully contained and poses no threat to airport operations,” KAA said.
It further assured the public that the fire did not impact any critical infrastructure or operational zones at JKIA.
A coordinated effort involving the KAA Airport Rescue & Fire Fighting Service, the Kenya Defencee Forces (KDF), and the Nairobi County Fire Unit was instrumental in bringing the situation under control, KAA said.
"All airport activities, including flight schedules, passenger processing, and cargo handling, remain fully operational and unaffected," the statement read.
KAA emphasised that the fire was confined to grassland areas and did not disrupt any essential services at the airport.
This incident is the latest in a series of fire-related events at JKIA.
In March 2024, an electrical fault led to a fire at Terminal 1E, resulting in a temporary shutdown of the terminal and the redirection of flight arrivals to Terminal 1A.
Similarly, in November 2024, a vehicle fire in the airport’s parking garage was swiftly contained without disrupting operations
The most significant incident occurred in August 2013, when a massive fire destroyed the international arrivals hall, leading to a complete airport shutdown. Investigations later attributed the cause to an electrical fault.
