The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has clarified that an aircraft ‘incident’ at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Wednesday, May 31, was an emergency drill.

KAA had earlier, through its official Twitter account, announced that an aircraft overflying Nairobi had encountered an incident at JKIA and that rescue operations were underway.

The Authority would minutes later issue a statement stating that the said incident, which sent social media into a frenzy, was a successful full-scale emergency drill.

"The exercise, which involved a simulated incident of an aircraft that crashed at the airport while overflying Nairobi, was organised by KAA as part of its ongoing commitment to enhancing airport emergency response capabilities and ensuring the highest level of preparedness in case of any unforeseen event," KAA said in a statement.

At the same time, KAA Managing Director Alex Gitari stated that the primary objective of the drill was to test and evacuate the efficiency and effectiveness of the airport's emergency responsiveness and coordination among various agencies. 

"Safety is our utmost priority at KAA and conducting regular emergency drills is a crucial aspect of our commitment to ensuring the highest level of preparedness," Gitari noted. By Mate Tongola, The Standard