Kenya Airways Flight Turns Back After Failed Landing Attempts

A Kenya Airways flight en route from Nairobi to Kigali was forced to return to its departure airport after encountering poor weather conditions that made landing unsafe.

According to a customer update issued by Kenya Airways, Flight KQ470, operating from Nairobi to Kigali, ran into low visibility and deteriorating weather conditions during its approach to Kigali International Airport at around 9:10 a.m. East African Time on 15 February.

After two unsuccessful landing attempts, the flight crew made the decision to turn back to Nairobi in the interest of passenger and crew safety.

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“Kenya Airways PLC (KQ) confirms that on 15 February 2026, at approximately 09:10 hrs (East African Time), KQ 470, on a scheduled operation from Nairobi to Kigali, encountered low visibility and deteriorating weather during the normal approach to land at Kigali International Airport. After two unsuccessful attempts to land, the crew elected to return to Nairobi for the safety of the passengers and crew on board,” KQ report noted.

Next Planned Departure

The aircraft landed safely back in Nairobi at 10:39 a.m. Once weather conditions in Kigali improved, the flight was cleared to depart again at 12:07 p.m., eventually landing safely in Kigali at 1:31 p.m.

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The turnaround had knock-on effects for other operations.

Kenya Airways said the incident delayed Flight KQ270 from Nairobi to Mauritius, originally scheduled to depart at 12:40 p.m., with the new departure time pushed to 4:40 p.m.

The airline emphasized that air turnbacks are a standard safety procedure and said affected passengers had been contacted and provided with assistance.

Kenya Airways apologized for the inconvenience, reiterating that safety remains its top priority.

“We have been in contact with the affected customers and are providing the necessary assistance. We sincerely apologise to our guests for the inconvenience and assure our customers that their safety and that of our crew are our highest priorities,” KQ states on a notice to their customers.

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Kenya Airways statement on the flight return to Kenya due to unsafe weather conditions for landing. PHOTO/KQ