KAA confirms JKIA’s terminal 1C fully operational after fire scare
By Ascah Mwango, July 21, 2025The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has announced that Terminal 1C at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is now fully operational, following a brief evacuation prompted by a fire alarm scare earlier in the day.
In a statement released on Sunday, July 20, 2025, evening, KAA confirmed that normal operations had resumed at the terminal after it was temporarily shut down to allow safety checks. Flights that had been redirected to Terminals 1A and 1B during the disruption have since returned to Terminal 1C.
“Terminal 1C at JKIA has now reopened. Flights temporarily relocated to Terminals 1A & 1B have returned to Terminal 1C. We appreciate the patience and cooperation of passengers & all stakeholders during this time,” the authority said.
The fire scare occurred at around 2:55 pm. when the airport’s fire alarm system was triggered in the Terminal 1C Check-In area. According to KAA, the airport’s fire and rescue team responded swiftly to the alert.
“At 14:55 hours today, the fire alarm system at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Terminal 1C Check-In area was activated. The airport’s Fire and Rescue fighting team promptly responded to the situation,” KAA said in an earlier statement.
While the alarm was initially silenced, it kept reactivating, raising further concern. As a precautionary measure, the fire alarm system was temporarily shut down to allow for a deeper investigation. KAA said the terminal was evacuated to ensure the safety of passengers and staff.
The incident, however, did not affect overall flight operations at the busy international hub. KAA reported that all outbound flights initially scheduled to depart from Terminal 1C were smoothly relocated to Terminals 1A and 1B without any interruptions.
“All flights scheduled for Terminal 1C have been seamlessly relocated to Terminal 1A and Terminal 1B, with no disruptions to flight operations. JKIA’s operations remain normal, and teams are on-site working to resolve the issue,” the authority stated.
The exact cause of the alarm activation has not yet been disclosed, but KAA has assured the public that the necessary investigations were conducted thoroughly before operations resumed.