Kenya Airways has confirmed that one of its morning flights to Kigali was forced to turn back to Nairobi after the crew was unable to land due to poor weather conditions at the destination.
In a statement on Sunday, the national carrier said flight KQ470, which departed Nairobi for Kigali on February 15, 2026, ran into low visibility as it approached Kigali International Airport.
The aircraft attempted to land twice but the weather conditions did not improve, making it unsafe to proceed.
According to the airline, the pilots made the decision to return to Nairobi to ensure the safety of everyone on board.
“After two unsuccessful attempts to land, the crew elected to return to Nairobi for the safety of the passengers and crew on board," reads the statement.
The aircraft landed safely back in Nairobi at 10:39 am East African Time. Kenya Airways explained that once the weather in Kigali improved, the flight was cleared for departure again at 12:07 pm and later arrived safely in Kigali at 1:31 pm.
The airline noted that such air turnbacks are part of normal safety measures in aviation when landing conditions are not suitable. However, the earlier disruption affected another scheduled service.
Kenya Airways said the return of KQ470 led to a delay of flight KQ270 from Nairobi to Mauritius. The Mauritius-bound flight, which had been set to depart at 12:40 pm, has now been rescheduled to leave at 4:40 pm.
The airline stated that it has been in touch with passengers affected by the disruption and is offering the required support. “We sincerely apologise to our guests for the inconvenience and assure our customers that their safety and that of our crew are our highest priorities.”
Kenya Airways maintained that safety remains at the centre of its operations and that the decision to turn back was made in line with standard aviation procedures.
