Passengers stranded after Jambojet bird strike grounds aircraft at Kisumu airport
At least 60 passengers affected by Friday night’s Jambojet bird strike incident at Kisumu International Airport were accommodated in a Kisumu hotel as engineers continued working to repair the damaged aircraft.
The affected aircraft, Jambojet Flight JM8657 remained grounded after suffering a bird strike.
It however left the following day after repairs.
Officials said that of the 77 passengers and four crew members who disembarked from the aircraft, 60 were taken to a hotel in Kisumu’s central business district for an overnight stay.
Another 12 passengers opted to return to their homes, while two continued their journey by road.
Three others were rebooked and travelled on an earlier Jambojet flight that departed at 6 p.m.
The passengers were finally flown to Nairobi using a different flight.
Flight engineers worked overnight and on Saturday to restore it to service.
Such incidents have been common in the area amid efforts by authorities to address the menace.
Elsewhere, a plane that had caused scare at the Wilson Airport was cleared from the scene with no injuries, officials said.
A Safarilink aircraft veered off the runway at Wilson Airport in Nairobi on Friday afternoon after suffering an undercarriage tyre burst during landing, temporarily disrupting flight operations.
According to police and airport authorities, the incident occurred at about 1 p.m. as the aircraft was landing on Runway after a flight from Keekorok Lodge in the Maasai Mara.
The aircraft was being operated by Safarilink.
The plane had 12 people on board, comprising two crew members and 10 passengers.
Authorities said the aircraft experienced a tyre burst on its undercarriage during landing, causing it to veer off the runway.
No injuries were reported among the crew or passengers.
Following the incident, Runway 14/32 was temporarily closed to allow recovery teams to tow the aircraft to the hangar before normal operations resumed.
Authorities are expected to investigate the incident to establish the circumstances surrounding the tyre failure.