Kenya Airways (KQ) confirmed that one of its regional flights was forced to return to Nairobi on Sunday morning after encountering poor weather conditions while attempting to land in Rwanda.
According to the airline, Flight KQ 470, which had departed Nairobi for Kigali, experienced low visibility and deteriorating weather during its normal approach into Kigali International Airport at approximately 9:10 a.m. East African Time.
After two unsuccessful landing attempts, the flight crew made the decision to perform an air turnback and return to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as a precautionary safety measure.
The aircraft landed safely in Nairobi at 10:39 a.m. Once weather conditions in Kigali improved, the flight was cleared for departure again at 12:07 p.m., eventually landing safely in Kigali at 1:31 p.m.
Kenya Airways emphasized that air turnbacks are standard aviation safety procedures designed to protect passengers and crew whenever conditions are not suitable for landing.
However, the disruption had a ripple effect on other services.
Flight KQ 270 from Nairobi to Mauritius, which was scheduled to depart at 12:40 p.m., was delayed and was expected to depart at 4:40 p.m.
The airline said it has contacted affected customers and is providing necessary assistance.
“We sincerely apologise to our guests for the inconvenience and assure our customers that their safety and that of our crew are our highest priorities,” the airline said in a statement.
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