Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport has been grounded since the early hours of this morning, with dozens of departing and arriving flights cancelled or diverted to other airports, after a Singapore Airlines freighter crashed during take-off.
The aircraft was reportedly hit by a flock of large birds and crashed at the end of the runway. The Kenya Airport Authority did not confirm this circumstance, which was reported by the Daily Nation newspaper as 'mechanical problems'. The fact is that airport security, including fire brigade vehicles, have all been rushed to the scene, preventing the proper functioning of the entire airport. 'To protect our passengers and ensure safety, we have suspended all airport operations,' reads the airport authorities' statement. Serious inconvenience for all passengers with international connections and several delays for many flights from Europe and beyond: the Kenya Airways flight from New York was diverted to the Ugandan airport of Entebbe. Disruptions and delays are likely to continue throughout the day. The time frame for the full operational reopening of the Kenyan capital's airport is not yet known.