'It was a drill,' KAA says after plane incident at JKIA

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has said the “aircraft incident” reported at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi Wednesday morning was an emergency drill.

KAA said in a statement that the exercise involved a simulated incident of an aircraft that crashed at the airport while overflying Nairobi to enhance emergency response capabilities.

“The primary objective of this exercise was to test and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the airport's emergency response procedures, coordination among various agencies, and the overall readiness of the airport's personnel,” the authority said.

Around 11 am, some social media users raised questions on the situation at JKIA, describing a smoke of cloud billowing above the airport.

KAA then said Rescue operations were underway after what they only described as an “aircraft incident”.

 “An aircraft overflying Nairobi encountered an incident at JKIA this morning. Immediate rescue operations are underway, led by our dedicated emergency response teams. We are working closely with authorities as we prioritize the safety of all involved,” KAA said in a tweet at 12:06 pm.