Several flights were on Wednesday night diverted to Mombasa International Airport after lighting system on the run way at the JKIA failed to work.
The problem which started shortly before 7pm saw takeoff of several local and international flights halted for hours as technicians were called in to rectify the problem.
Kenya Airports Authority officials said the problem was detected when light of one line of the runway failed to work as dusk set in.
It was then that the controller ordered that all flights be diverted to Mombasa.
By 10pm pm no flight had taken off or landed even as technicians worked around the clock to rectify the problem.
There were hundreds of travelers and those who waited for their visitors stranded at the airport following the problem.
A traveler said the incident had caused havoc and confusion among travelers and those who were waiting for their loved ones from abroad.
“Flights have been delayed and we fear our schedules will be messed up. We are disappointed by JKIA officials for letting such a problem crop up at an International airport,” said a caller by the name Otieno.
Efforts to get comments from the Kenya Airports Authority corporate communications manager, Mr Dominic Ngige, were futile as his phone went unanswered before it went off.
Kenya Airports Police Unit commandant Philp Tuimur said no incident had been reported by the time we went to press.
He said security had been beefed up at the airport following the incident because there were tens of people who were waiting for their visitors and those were waiting for flights to travel.
Between 7pm and midnight is the busiest time at the airport because that is when most international flights including VA, KQ AND British Airways land and take off from JKIA.
The incident comes months after lighting system at Monbasa International Airport also failed to work for almost two days causing agony for hundreds of travelers.
This incident puts the airport on the spot over its security status.
