Kenyan airport’s sole runway closed after incident with Singapore Airlines cargo plane

This article is more than 12 months old

Apr 17, 2023 04:57 pm

Kenyan authorities have temporarily suspended all flights at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi on Monday, following an aborted take-off by a Singapore Airlines (SIA) cargo plane.

In a statement on Twitter at 2.32pm (Singapore time), the Kenya Airports Authority said it had temporarily closed the airport’s sole runway after a cargo plane experienced technical issues and failed to take off.

Information on flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed flight SQ7343 - a Boeing 747-412F freighter - starting to taxi onto the runway at the Jomo Kenyatta airport at 12.39pm (Singapore time), eventually reaching a maximum ground speed of 151 knots or about 280kmh before slowing to a stop. The plane was scheduled to fly from Nairobi to Amsterdam on Monday at 6.30am (Singapore time).

Flightradar24 images show the plane currently remaining stationary on the runway. Pictures posted by netizen Davis Sango on Twitter show a plane with the SIA livery being surrounded by vehicles and people on the tarmac. The Straits Times has contacted SIA for more information.

“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,” the Kenya Airports Authority said on Twitter.

“We advise all passengers to contact their respective airlines for further information on the status of their flights.”