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Massive fire closes Nairobi Airport
The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) said Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) had been closed and passengers evacuated. Images posted on Twitter showed smoke and flames billowing from one of the main buildings. https://twitter.com/NewsBreaker/status/364973156294873088/photo/1 (www.bbc.co.uk) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
I wonder how many L1011's and 727's were lost?
Not many...the vintage parked aircraft are far away across the apron, but your point is well taken. If this were Nairobi's Wilson Airport there would be lots of old Russian helos and fixed wing skeletons about. NBO is where I saw my first re-engined DC-3 with tiny (relative) turboprops installed. They only about a dozen jetways so the apron has a rather impressive line up of international carriers. Apart from Kenya Airways and a discount airline almost all other traffic is international and much of it long range. Most of the little guys from years back have gone.
Not sure if joke......laughed anyway. Poor 707's and DC-8's :-(
Update from Nairobi friend: Domestic traffic has resumed (Air Kenya in newer terminal) and International expected to resume tomorrow on limited basis. Passengers advised to arrive a full 3 hours before their departing flights....in my experience that is good advise at NBO in the best of times.
Anyone wanna bet against terrorism?
I don't think this fire was deliberate. My man in Nairobi points the finger at Duty Free employees who in the wee hours use electric cookers to prepare personal food. Electricity is expensive in Kenya, so they cook at work with a self installed array of extension cords and power strips. The building is quite ancient and being a British style electrical system not very tolerant to unauthorized modifications. A small fire started from an overload, they thought was extinguished. They went back to cooking, and whoosh the whole thing went up.
Wow, those employees are gonna get burned. No pun intended. lol.