Flights at JKIA suspended after cargo plane develops technical hitch on the runway
National
By
Sharon Wanga
| Apr 17, 2023
Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has temporarily suspended incoming and outgoing flights at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after the runway was closed.
"We would like to confirm that the runway at JKIA has been temporarily closed due to an aborted takeoff by a cargo plane that developed technical issues this morning," Kenya Airport Authority said in a statement on Monday, April 17.
"As a result of the runway closure, all incoming and outgoing flights have been temporarily suspended."
KAA further stated that it is working with relevant authorities to restore normalcy.
Safety of passengers
"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,"
Travellers using JKIA have been advised to contact respective airlines for further information on the status of their booked flights.
This comes a day after the national carrier adjusted flights to and from Europe by approximately an hour to cater for rerouting. The airline attributed the delay to ongoing unrest in Sudan that has seen Sudanese Civil Aviation ban flights through their airspace.
There is an ongoing battle between Sudan's military and a powerful paramilitary that has resulted in the deaths of 56 people. On Sunday morning, a doctors' syndicate said the death toll rose to 56, with at least 595 people wounded.
The clashes capped months of heightened tensions between the military and its partner-turned-rival, the Rapid Support Forces group. Those tensions had delayed a deal with political parties to get the country back to its short-lived transition to democracy, which was derailed by an October 2021 military coup.
Chaotic scenes unfolded in the capital of Khartoum, where fighters firing from truck-mounted machine guns battled in densely populated neighborhoods.