By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
Operations at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi were temporarily disrupted for the better part of Monday morning.
A statement from the Kenya Airports Authority indicate that the disruption was due to a “small fire incident”.
The fire incident led to the closure of the airport’s terminal 1E.
“Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) wishes to inform the public of a small fire incident that occurred at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport’s Terminal 1E this morning,” read part of the notice.
According to the authority, the fire was caused by an electric fault.
However, KAA said the situation was quickly contained with no injuries or casualties from the incident.
“Following this, power to Terminal 1E has been temporarily shut off as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of all within our premises,” noted KAA.
To mitigate any inconveniences that the incident may cause, the authority said all flight arrival operations were redirected to Terminal 1A until further notice.
Terminal 1E is one of those used for international arrivals at JKIA.
There are two terminals at JKIA. Terminal 1 is arranged in a semi-circular orientation and is divided into four parts: 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1E are used for international arrivals and departures while terminal 1D is used for domestic departures and arrivals.
Terminal 2 is used by low-cost carriers.
“KAA is dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of all passengers, staff, and stakeholders at our facilities and is taking all necessary steps to minimize disruptions and return to normal operations as swiftly as possible,” the agency said.
Later in the day, the agency said the terminal had been re-opened.
“Further to our earlier statement, we’re pleased to announce that Terminal 1E (T1E) at JKIA is now fully operational,” KAA said in an update on their X handle.