A wildfire has erupted on part of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport grassland.
According to the Kenya Red Cross, the fire has consumed the area towards 75 Airport North Road. Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) confirms the inferno, says the fire has not affected any critical infrastructure.
Videos and images seen by Kenyans.co.ke show the wildfire spreading on the grass area that nears the airport's runway. One video shot from inside a landing plane shows the fire is near the runway.
Fire engines and the police are on the scene as they aim to contain the fire and mitigate the situation. According to KAA firefighters from the Kenya Defence Forces, Nairobi County Fire Department and KAA Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Service are at the scene.
In it's statement KAA says all airport operations including landing and takeoff are set to continue. "All airport activities including flight schedules, passenger processing, cargo handling remain fully operational and unaffected," KAA said.
Videos shared online show Kenyans outside the fence of the airport watching the wildfire.
The cause of the fire is yet to be established, with many netizens calling for a hasty extinguishing of the inferno at the airport, the largest in the country.
In an unfortunate coincidence, the fire comes at a time when JKIA won a global award after being crowned the African Cargo Airport of the Year at the STAT Times International Awards for Excellence in Air Cargo.
Through a statement, the Kenya Airports Authority revealed the win for the country’s largest airport, terming it as a recognition for the airport’s role in improving trade and logistics across the continent.
“Big win for Kenya! Jomo Kenyatta International Airport has been crowned African Cargo Airport of the Year at the STAT Times International Awards for Excellence in Air Cargo!” KAA remarked.
“The recognition emphasized JKIA’s pivotal role in facilitating trade & logistics across Africa—highlighting the airport's commitment to operational excellence & its continuous efforts to enhance cargo handling capabilities,” the Authority added.
The award was received by Dr. Rose Koros, General Manager at JKIA, accompanied by Jacob Bwana, Manager of Cargo, and Debra Ondaba, Manager of Product & Brand.
