The two airlines have also issued statements yesterday worth publishing here for the benefit of readers, as information from KAA is scanty if not outright absent.
Etihad Airways has cancelled its daily flight from Abu Dhabi to Nairobi due to a fire that closed Kenyatta International Airport earlier today.
Etihad Airways operates a daily service on this route, with flight EY 641 scheduled to depart Abu Dhabi at 09.40, arriving in Nairobi at 13.25. On the return, flight EY 642 departs Nairobi at 14.25, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 20.20 the same evening.
Passengers currently in transit at our hub in Abu Dhabi are being provided with hotel accommodation and lounge access, and are being rebooked on tomorrow’s flight, which will be upgraded to a larger aircraft to accommodate the additional passengers
All passengers based in Kenya, scheduled to travel to Abu Dhabi on this afternoon’s flight, have been advised not to go to the airport.
We are waiting for official confirmation of the airport’s reopening and will resume normal operations as soon as possible. In the meantime, passengers are advised to visit the Etihad Airways website: www.etihad.com for further updates.
Following the closure of JKIA, Fly540 have issued the following statement:
Valued Customers,
We apologise for the inconvenience being caused to you all. As a result of the fire at the arrivals terminal of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport all our flights from there are currently cancelled until further notice.
All staff and passengers are safe and we are working towards resuming operations as soon as possible.
As the domestic flights area of the airport was unaffected, we are awaiting instructions from the Kenyan Aviation Authorities and the Government of Kenya on how soon we can recommence the flights. Additionally, we are exploring the possibility of flying affected passengers out of Wilson Airport.
Passengers are advised to contact Fly540 Enquiry Centre on 0722540540 or 0733540540 or email info in order to rearrange flights.
We will be updating information every hour throughout the day through emails, website, twitter and Facebook.
This was followed shortly afterwards with an announcement by Fly540 about resuming operations:
We are pleased to announce that limited domestic operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport will commence today at 17:00 local time.
Fly540 Kenya is preparing to operate the following domestic flights today:
| Flight | Destination | Departure |
| 439 & 461 | NBO-MSA | 18:00 |
| 403 & 409 | NBO-KIS | 19:00 |
| 405 | NBO-MSA | 19:00 |
(To enable as many passengers as possible to reach their destinations, we are combining flights 439 & 461 and 403 & 409.)
Please can passengers due to travel on these flights arrive at JKIA at least 1 hour ahead of the scheduled departure time.
Operation of international flights will be reviewed tomorrow at 09:00 local time. We will keep you informed of progress.
Thank you for your patience.
