Kenya Airways Flight Bound For Rwanda Unable To Land At Kigali Airport, Returns To JKIA

• A Kenya Airways plane bound for Rwanda was forced to return to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport due to what KQ described as bad weather
• Kenya Airways said the flight 478 crew attempted to land at Kigali International Airport but could not do so due to poor visibility
• The national carrier said the crew elected to return to JKIA for the safety of the passengers on board

Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi - Kenya Airways has stated that one of its flights was forced to return to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport hours after taking off.

On Sunday, December 17, Kenya Airways said flight KQ478 bound for Rwanda could not land at the Kigali International Airport due to bad weather.

Kenya Airways apologises to passengers

Kenya Airways said Rwanda's capital was experiencing heavy fog, which made it difficult for the plane to land safely, despite two attempts by the crew.

" The flight Encountered low visibility and deteriorating weather on the normal approach to Kigali International Airport, after two unsuccessful attempts to land, the crew elected to return to Nairobi for the safety of the passenger. The aircraft landed safely in Nairobi at 09:50 hrs (East African Time)," Kenya Airways said.

The carrier apologised to its passengers for the inconvenience caused by the incident, adding that they would be transferred to the next available flight.

"The passengers are being transferred on to the next available flight. Air turnbacks are standard safety procedures. We sincerely apologise to our guests for the inconvenience and assure our customers that their safety and that of our crew is our highest priority," the carrier added.

Why did KQ flight bound for Dubai return to JKIA?

In a related incident, a Kenya Airways plane bound for Dubai was forced to return to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

On Friday, December 15, the national carrier disclosed that traffic control at JKIA sighted tyre debris on the runway.

The company stated that upon further probe, they deduced that it belonged to KQ flight 310, which was heading to Dubai.

"Kenya Airways PLC (KQ) confirms that on 15 December 2023 at approximately 21:20 hours, JKIA Air Traffic Control encountered tyre debris during a regular runway inspection. Upon further inspection, it was established by the KQ operations team that the tyre debris was from KQ 310, which had departed on a scheduled operation from Nairobi to Dubai," read the statement in part.

KQ contacted the crew on the plane, and they followed safety procedures to ensure the aeroplane was safely back in Nairobi.