Operations at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) were disrupted Thursday morning after thick fog forced Kenya Airways (KQ) to divert several inbound flights, raising fresh concerns about the airport’s ability to handle weather-related disruptions.
The affected flights, which were scheduled to land at JKIA, were rerouted to Mombasa and Kilimanjaro airports due to significantly reduced visibility over Nairobi.
“We wish to inform our customers that due to poor visibility caused by fog this morning, some of our flights scheduled to land at JKIA were diverted to Mombasa and Kilimanjaro,” Kenya Airways said in a statement dated April 17. “The diversions were made in the interest of safety for both passengers and crew.”
The incident is likely to renew debate over whether Kenya’s busiest airport is adequately equipped with advanced landing systems and real-time weather tracking tools.
In its statement, KQ also warned of continued delays for both arrivals and departures, advising passengers to brace for schedule changes throughout the day.
“We expect some delays today for certain flight departures and arrivals. We apologise for the inconvenience caused,” the airline said.
JKIA is a key regional aviation hub, and any disruptions have a ripple effect across East Africa’s air traffic. With climate-related weather patterns becoming increasingly erratic, the incident has once again highlighted the urgent need for long-term investments in airport weather resilience and contingency planning.
