Kenya Airways has confirmed that two of its flights were diverted on Sunday morning after fog reduced visibility at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) runway in Nairobi.
Flights KQ739 from Lilongwe and KQ709 from Harare were temporarily rerouted to Kilimanjaro International Airport as a safety precaution before later returning and landing safely in Nairobi once weather conditions improved.
In a customer update, the national carrier said the decision was taken due to safety concerns linked to poor visibility during approach.
“We confirm that earlier this morning two of our flights were diverted due to fog affecting visibility on approach to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) runway,” the airline said.
Kenya Airways added that normal operations resumed after conditions improved.
“Following improvement in weather conditions and visibility in Nairobi, both flights safely returned and landed at JKIA,” the statement noted.
The airline said the diversions resulted in limited disruption to its schedule, mainly affecting regional routes, but assured passengers that efforts were underway to restore normal operations.
“The diversions have resulted in a few delays only affecting our regional routes. We are actively working to minimise disruption to our schedule and support affected guests through regular communication updates and alternative travel arrangements where applicable,” Kenya Airways said.
The carrier also apologised to passengers affected by the delays, thanking them for their patience.
“We sincerely apologise to our guests for the inconvenience caused and appreciate their patience and understanding as we work to restore normal operations,” it added.
Kenya Airways emphasised that safety remains its highest priority, noting that the precautionary diversions were in line with standard aviation safety procedures.
“The safety of our guests and crew remains our top priority,” the airline said.
The incident comes as JKIA continues to experience occasional weather-related disruptions, particularly during early morning operations when fog and low visibility conditions are more likely to occur.
Aviation experts note that such diversions, while inconvenient, are standard practice globally and are intended to ensure the safety of passengers and crew.
The airline has not reported any further disruptions following the morning incident and says operations are now stabilising across its regional network.