JKIA's only runway taints yet again, the image of East Africa's top hub
National
By
Mate Tongola
| Apr 17, 2023
The runway at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) has been partially opened. It was temporarily closed for hours after a cargo plane stalled on the busy runway on Monday morning.
However, the opening is only for smaller planes that are currently allowed to take off as authorities continue to move the Singapore Airlines cargo plane that suffered an engine failure moments after attempting to take off.
In a press statement, Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen stated that the issue will be resolved by 15:30 hours on Monday, April 17.
"The process to remove the aircraft from the runway required evacuation of 100 tonnes of cargo and replacement of the damaged tyre before the aircraft can be towed off the runaway," Kipchumba's statement read in part.
Earlier on, KAA had taken to Twitter to explain the situation.
"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 stated.
The closure of the runway has affected the landing of flights that were scheduled to touch down at the international airport, including a Kenya Airways flight KQ 003 from John Fitzgerald Kennedy International Airport (JFK) airport in New York.
"The KQ 003 plane was diverted to Entebbe, Uganda but we have been informed that it will be landing in Mombasa before passengers are rerouted to Nairobi after the issue has been resolved," a KQ pilot revealed to The Standard.
Notably, JKIA has been operating on a single runway for years, with successive governments failing to expand the busy airport that is highly ranked in the East Africa region.