KQ informed its customers that incoming flights were diverted to Moi International Airport in Mombasa County and Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania.
Kenya Airways (KQ) has announced that it has diverted flights which were scheduled to land at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.
In a notice, KQ informed its customers that incoming flights were diverted to Moi International Airport in Mombasa County and Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania.
The airline attributed this decision to poor visibility caused by adverse weather conditions.
“We wish to inform our customers that we have this morning, diverted to Mombasa and Kilimanjaro, some of our flights that were scheduled to land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. This is due to poor visibility caused by adverse weather conditions,” read the notice in part.
Entrance to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. /MARVIN CHEGE.VIRALTEAKE
As a result, the national carrier cautioned passengers of some anticipated delays in departures and arrivals in Nairobi.
“We understand that this may cause inconvenience, but please be assured that we have taken all necessary safety measures and the well-being of our crew, and customers are our number one priority,” KQ added.
Affected customers were advised to get in touch with the airline through its phone lines as well as via WhatsApp and X (Twitter) @KQSupport for further assistance.
However, it is unclear if the torrid weather situation affected other airlines, both local and international, landing and taking off from JKIA. All passengers were advised to be patient as airlines await the weather to be more favourable for flying to avoid any accidents.
Aviation weather intelligence is a high consideration for the aviation industry. Pilots and passengers alike worry about flying in bad weather. The weather forecast is a crucial element of the pilot’s pre-flight checks, and flight operations will continually update their weather information during flight.
Thunderstorms, lightning, rain, fog, winds, snow, and ice, can all make for harrowing flights. But what is considered “too bad?” When should a flight be cancelled, instead of delayed? What weather conditions should a flight steer clear once in the air?
Contrary to what many passengers believe, commercial aeroplanes can fly in almost all weather conditions and are rarely affected by terrible weather. However, when airports and airlines are expecting severe weather, they may implement planned cancellations for some flights. This implementation helps to minimize the delays to remaining flights.
Although it may happen later than expected, it enables most passengers to get to their destination as quickly as possible.
In this case, fog is often patchy and location-specific with some airports affected while others, even those who are geographically close, remain clear.
All aircraft can be affected by fog and poor visibility, which can cause flight delays. Many commercial aircraft are equipped with autopilots that can land the plane in zero visibility, however, “on the ground” and during the take-off phase when processes are manual, most air traffic delays occur.
When airport visibility drops below an acceptable Runway Visual Range, the airport enforces Low Visibility Procedures (LVPs). Namely, Air Traffic will reduce the number of aircraft taxiing and taking off to prevent accidents and incidents from occurring.
Many modern aeroplanes can land in even the densest fog using their automatic landing equipment. They can even land in zero visibility. However, it may then be impossible for the planes to taxi, as this is a manual process.
