Nairobi Runway Closes after Bird Strike of Singapore Airlines Cargo
Nairobi Runway Closes after Bird Strike of Singapore Airlines Cargo Boeing 747 at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO)
A Singapore Airlines Cargo (SQ7343) that attempted to take off a few days but was forced to abort after what is believed to have been a bird attack forced a temporarily closure of the runway at Kenya’s main airport.
Nairobi Runway Closes
At 01:30 UTC, the Boeing 747F was supposed to leave for Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) and touch down at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) at 09:40 UTC.
All arriving flights were rerouted to other airports and flights that were scheduled to depart from NBO were suspended.
Moments after the incident, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) announced the closure of the sole NBO runway.
As a result, all flights that were supposed to depart from and arrive at NBO were canceled.
To protect passenger safety and prevent further damage, the measures are being put in place.
On Twitter, the authority stated; “We would like to confirm that the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport’s (JKIA) runway has been temporarily blocked as a result of a cargo plane’s aborted takeoff this morning due to mechanical difficulties.
All passengers’ safety is our top priority, and we are coordinating closely with the appropriate authorities to find a swift and safe solution to this issue.
Because the runway was shut down, all arriving and departures have been momentarily halted.”
Rapid assistance from the accident response team allowed for the aircraft’s quick repair, and inquiries into the occurrence to place.
The incident and the crew of SQ7343’s safety were confirmed by Singapore Airlines.
A representative for the airline told Simple Flying;
“Singapore Airlines can confirm that SQ7343, a Boeing 747-400 freighter, encountered a technical problem with one of the engines while it was getting ready to take off on April 17, 2023, when it was scheduled to fly from Nairobi to Amsterdam.
The crew exited the aircraft normally, and inquiries into the occurrence are still being conducted.
Singapore Airlines expresses regret for any trouble the incident may have caused.
A Kenya Airways (KQ3) Boeing 787 arriving from JFK Airport in New York is one of the planes to NBO that was diverted to another airport.
At Entebbe International Airport (EBB) Uganda, KQ3 touched down without incident. KAA apologized for any difficulty the event may have caused and encouraged all travellers to get in touch with their individual airlines to find out the status of their flights.
Procedure for closing the runway
For a variety of reasons, including accidents and planned repair, runways are closed. Runway safety measures must be followed, and operators must be made aware of the closure. Most of the time, if a runway has been cleared, flight operations can continue safely on an alternative runway or the original runway.
Jomo Kenyatta Airport, however, just has one runway that handles all international traffic. One of the biggest and busiest airports in Africa is NBO, and relying on just one runway is not ideal, especially when accidents happen. Following the Singapore Airlines Cargo incident, worries from the general public and other stakeholders have reappeared.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the partners of the Runway Safety Program (RSP) have been collaborating to lower the risks and lessen the effects of runway events such incursions and bird strikes since the first ICAO Global Runway Safety Symposium in May 2011.
Compiled by
World Travel news, Uganda Safaris, Gorilla Trekking and Gorilla Tour news
