Flights to Nairobi International Airport were forced to divert to Mombasa and at least four international flights were delayed after a light aircraft stalled on a runway after running out of fuel, aviation officials said Thursday.
Kenya Airways (KQ) Chief Executive Titus Naikuni said four KQ flights were delay ed and two flights were diverted to Mombasa, some 500 kms away from the capital, Nairobi.
The aircraft was diverted to the Nairobi Airport for fueling due to lack of fuel at the Wilson Airport in Nairobi, the regions busiest airport, which serves Eastern and Central Africa region.
Kenya Airways would like to advise its passengers, customers and the public t hat runway number 06/24 has been temporarily closed at the Jomo Kenyatta international Airport due to a disa bled small aircraft on the runway, Naikuni said in a statement.
The airline said due to the runway closure, KQ 607 from Mombasa and KQ 448 from Bujumbura diverted to Mombasa.
Efforts are underway to clear the runway. The delayed flights include KQ 520 to Abidjan, KQ 472 to Kigali and KQ 2717 destined for Dar es salaam, the airline said. “We apologize for any i nconvenience that may have been caused by this incident.”
