Kenya Airways planes diverted to Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania as foggy weather blankets Nairobi City
A number of aircrafts that were scheduled to land at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi had to be diverted to another nearby terminal in the neighboring Tanzania, following poor visibility caused by dense fog.
An official statement from the Kenya Airways management, affirmed that the planes had to be diverted from JKIA and directed to land at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) in Northern Tanzania for security reasons.
“We wish to inform our customers that due to poor visibility caused by fog this morning, some of our flights scheduled to land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) were diverted to Kilimanjaro International in Tanzania,” read part of the KQ dispatch to the airline customers.
Other flights had to be directed to the Mombasa International Airport in the Kenyan Coastal City. It seems the fog also blanketed the other Wilson Airport in Nairobi.
“The diversions were some of the safety measures taken to ensure the well-being of our crew and passengers, which happens to be our airline’s number one priority,” Kenya Airways maintained.
According to the company they were also expecting some delays on Thursday and Good Friday for certain flight departures and arrivals and therefore Kenya Airways used the statement to also apologise for the inconvenience caused to their affected guests and passengers.
In another development, passengers and motorists heading to the mainland parts of Mombasa on Thursday morning experienced major traffic snarl-ups after the Likoni Ferry services experienced major vessel breakdowns.
The ferry pile-up which caused delays, witnessed chaotic scenes as thousands of residents who depend on the mode of transport attempted to force their way on-board a nearby vessel.
Efforts by law enforcement agencies, including the police, to try and contain the tense situation proved futile, as the irate crowd overwhelmed the officers.
Motorists were therefore forced to take alternative routes such as the Dongo Kundu Bypass, after it became clear that the ferry services would be grounded for some time.