A flight to Germany grounded in Mombasa after making emergency landing
Operations at the Moi International Airport in Mombasa were disrupted on Tuesday May 7, 2024 afternoon after a charter flight heading to Frankfurt, Germany, was forced to make an emergency landing.
Operations at the Moi International Airport in Mombasa were disrupted on Tuesday afternoon after a charter flight heading to Frankfurt, Germany, was forced to make an emergency landing.
Sources who requested anonymity for lack of authority to comment on the incident said the aircraft with 266 people on board suffered a malfunction after a bird strike during take-off.
The airport manager Abel Gogo confirmed the incident on Wednesday and said the aircraft was still under repair.
“It’s a charter plane that normally comes to Mombasa from Europe and the aircraft is still here undergoing repairs,” said Mr Gogo.
All the 266 people on board were taken to safety.
The incident which occurred at around 12.22 pm, exactly two minutes after takeoff, affected the aircraft's left engine.
Disaster management teams responded to the alert and dispatched eight fire engines and more than 10 ambulances.
Present also were first responders led by the Kenya Red Cross and other medical teams which were on standby to evacuate the passengers.
There was panic which also led to the delay in landing and takeoff of other aircraft, which temporarily affected operations at the airport.
Nation.Africa has also learnt that another flight was provided for the passengers. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority is yet to issue an official statement over the matter.
