A large fire broke out in a grassland area near the runways of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi on Friday, raising concerns about possible disruptions at East Africa’s busiest airport.
The Kenya Red Cross confirmed that emergency response teams were actively working to bring the blaze under control. “Emergency response teams are on-site battling a grassland fire within JKIA. Efforts are underway to prevent further spread,” the organisation said in a statement.
Flight Operations Not Affected
Videos shared online by travellers showed the flames spreading over a large area, dangerously close to airport infrastructure. However, authorities assured the public that all flight operations remained normal.
The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) said a coordinated response involving the KAA Airport Rescue and Fire Service, the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the Nairobi County Fire Brigade is working to fully contain the situation and determine the cause of the fire.
“All airport activities, including flight schedules, passenger operations and cargo handling, are fully operational and unaffected,” KAA said in a statement.
Previous Fire Incidents at JKIA
This is not the first fire-related incident at JKIA. In 2013, a major fire destroyed the international arrivals terminal, causing widespread disruption.
JKIA is a major aviation hub in Africa, acting as a major connecting point for passenger and cargo traffic between the continent and major global destinations.