Kenya Airways departure f****ts likely to face extended delays

Kenya Airways (KQ) has warned of potential delays in departures from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) following heavy rains in Nairobi.

In a statement released on Sunday, April 28, KQ announced that several flights had been diverted due to poor visibility caused by the torrential downpours on Saturday night.

Kenya Airways anticipation

As a result, delays in departure schedules are anticipated.

"Due to the heavy rains and poor visibility in Nairobi, we have diverted a number of our flights, which may lead to extended delays for some of our departures out of Nairobi," KQ stated.

The airline apologized for the inconvenience caused but emphasized that safety remains the top priority.

"We apologize for the inconvenience caused to our customers. The safety and well-being of our crew and customers is our number one priority," the statement added.

The disruptions come amid ongoing challenges at JKIA. The heavy rains experienced on Saturday resulted in flooding at parts of the airport, causing significant issues for operations and passenger transit.

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) was forced to reroute access points to JKIA after the Tower Avenue Underpass flooded, disrupting normal traffic flow at the main entrance.

KAA reported that its security teams, in coordination with police, quickly cordoned off the flooded area to ensure the safety of airport users and personnel.

JKIA challenges

KAA's Managing Director, Henry Kegoye, explained that recent leaks in airport roofs were due to ongoing refurbishment works, with further infrastructure improvements scheduled through June 2024.

This isn't the first time JKIA has faced operational issues. In November 2023, concerns were raised about the airport's infrastructure capacity after similar incidents of flooding and power outages.

In 2023, a major blackout led to the dismissal of KAA's former Managing Director, Alex Gitari, and General Engineering Manager, Fred Odawo.

A subsequent blackout in December 2023 prompted Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to call for a National Police investigation into possible acts of sabotage and cover-up at JKIA, after terminals 1A and 1E remained in darkness during a nationwide power outage.