Kenya Airways has explained why some of its flights failed to land at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on the morning of Thursday, April 17. The flights were rerouted to Mombasa and Kilimanjaro.

In a statement issued to its customers, the national carrier said the rerouting was “due to poor visibility caused by fog.

KQ clarified that the move was purely precautionary and aimed at protecting lives.

“The diversions were a safety measure to ensure the well-being of our crew and customers, which is our number one priority,” the airline stated.

As a result, the carrier cautioned travelers to expect delays in some flight departures and arrivals, and extended its apologies to those affected.

The fog-related disruption came just days after the airline confirmed a separate in-flight emergency that tragically led to the death of a passenger aboard its New York to Nairobi flight.

Kenya Airways said the incident occurred on Friday, April 11, aboard flight KQ003, when an elderly passenger experienced a medical emergency mid-air.

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“At 0840 hours Nairobi Time, the crew notified the Kenya Airways Operations Control Centre that the passenger had collapsed,” the airline reported, adding that three qualified medical professionals on board attempted to resuscitate the individual using emergency equipment.

The flight was diverted toward Entebbe International Airport in Uganda to facilitate urgent medical attention, but “despite sustained resuscitation efforts, the passenger was pronounced deceased at 0910 hours East Africa Time, prior to landing.”

KQ said the flight later resumed its journey to Nairobi and landed at 10:27am, where it was received by medical teams, airport security, and relevant authorities.