An aircraft with 39 passengers on board veered off the runway at Wilson Airport on the evening of Friday, March 20, 2026.
In a statement, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) said the planes was arriving from Kisumu International Airport when the incident occurred.
“This evening at 2055HRS an aircraft with thirty nine(39) passengers on board arriving from Kisumu International Airport veered off the runway at Wilson Airport,” KAA said.
KAA confirmed that all the passengers and crew escaped with no injuries.
The Authority said the aircraft is still on site with the team leading recovery process.
“We wish to confirm that all passengers and crew are safe, with no injuries reported. The aircraft remains on site, and recovery efforts are currently underway,” the Authority said.
Further, KAA said airport operations at Wilson Airport remains normal.
The Kenya Airports Authority emphasized that it remains fully committed to the highest standards of safety at all airports in Kenya.
Ososti Raises Concern Over State of Wilson Airport
This comes after Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi (Vihiga) raised a red flag over the deteriorating state of infrastructure at Wilson Airport
Speaking on March 13, Osotsi described the situation as a matter of national concern and sought a statement from the Senate Committee on Roads, Transport and Housing regarding the condition of the airport’s critical infrastructure.
In his request, Senator Osotsi asked the Committee to establish the current status of key facilities including the runway, drainage systems, rescue and firefighting equipment, air traffic control systems and power backup installations outlining the steps being taken by the Ministry of Roads and Transport, Kenya Airports Authority and the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority to address their dilapidated state to ensure continued compliance with international safety standards.
The Legislator also raised alarm over buildings and other developments around the airport that exceed the prescribed height limits.
Osotsi said the buildings posed a potential risk to aviation safety and requested the Committee to provide timelines within which such structures would be demolished to ensure safety within the airport’s flight paths.
Further, Sen. Osotsi sought details on recent aviation incidents reported around Wilson Airport tasking the Committee to provide the findings of investigations into the accidents and the measures being taken to prevent a recurrence.
Noting that Wilson Airport is Kenya’s oldest airport and the third busiest aviation facility in the country, he asked the Committee to outline the Government’s plans to upgrade, expand and modernize the facility in order to enhance its operational capacity and safety standards.
Wilson Airport, Nairobi, on May 12, 2022. PHOTO/ The Standard.
