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Kenya Airways issues update after aircraft suffers bird strike in Cape Town
10th May, 2026 12:34 AM
Kenya Airways has issued a customer update after one of its aircraft operating on the Nairobi–Cape Town route was affected by a bird strike incident during landing in South Africa.
In a statement shared on X on Saturday, May 9, 2026, the airline confirmed that the incident occurred earlier in the day as the aircraft was arriving at Cape Town International Airport from Nairobi.
The flight landed safely at approximately 1:55 p.m. East African Time, with no injuries reported among passengers or crew.
“We confirm that earlier today, one of our aircraft operating from Nairobi (NBO) to Cape Town (CPT) experienced a birdstrike incident upon arrival into Cape Town. The aircraft landed safely at Cape Town International Airport at approximately 1:55 p.m. (East African Time),” KQ wrote.
However, following a technical inspection after landing, the aircraft was declared Aircraft on Ground (AOG) after engineers detected significant damage to the radome, a critical protective cover on the aircraft’s nose section.
Due to the damage, the return service from Cape Town to Nairobi was disrupted, forcing operational adjustments by the airline.
“Following technical assessment, the aircraft was declared Aircraft on Ground (AOG) following significant damage to the radome. This affected the service flight from Cape Town back to Nairobi,” the statement added.
Kenya Airways said its technical teams are currently working around the clock to carry out the necessary inspections and repairs, with the aim of returning the aircraft to service and returning it to Nairobi within the next 24 hours.
“In line with standard safety and operational procedures, the aircraft is currently undergoing the necessary inspections and maintenance. Our technical teams are working round the clock to recover the aircraft back to Nairobi within the next 24 hours,” KQ revealed.
The national carrier further noted that it is working to minimise inconvenience to affected passengers by communicating alternative travel arrangements where necessary and providing timely updates.
The airline also apologised for the disruption, expressing regret over the inconvenience caused to travellers, and appreciated customers for their patience and understanding as recovery operations continue.
“We are actively working to minimise disruption to our schedule and support affected customers through communication updates on alternative travel arrangements where applicable. We sincerely apologise to our guests for the inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to restore normal operations,” the statement said.
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Steve Ireri
Steve is a senior writer with over four years of experience in digital journalism. His focus is on the showbiz and human interest stories. Emails: [email protected] , [email protected]
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