Summary
- Kenya's Transport Minister fires the head of the airport authority after a lengthy power cut at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
- The airport reportedly failed to put two backup generators into commission, leaving the main passenger terminal without power during the blackout.
- Passengers at the airport were stranded in darkness for hours, leading to flight cancelations and the need to book hotel rooms for the night. Kenya Power blamed a system disturbance for the nationwide blackout.
Kenya's Transport Minister has fired the head of the country's airport authority following a prolonged power cut at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO). The blackout lasted around two hours, plunging the airport's main terminal into darkness.
Kenya airport boss dismissed after blackouts
Kenya's Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen, announced that Alex Gitari, Managing Director of Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), was dismissed from his role with immediate effect following the electricity outage.
In a televised address on Saturday, Murkomen said,
"I wish to issue an unreserved apology to all travellers and airport users who were affected in one way or another by the power disruption."
Along with Gitari, another senior civil aviation authority official was dismissed, while the airport's manager was moved to Moi International Airport in Mombasa. On top of the recent issue, the BBC reports Murkomen as claiming political interference had led to "a demoralized and disorganized workforce."
Kenya Power says it restored power to the airport around five hours after the blackout. However, other homes and businesses were not so lucky, remaining without power for more than 15 hours.
Generator fails to work
With the Kenyan national grid suffering similar blackouts over the years, the government commissioned the implementation of two backup generators at the airport. However, Murkomen said the two generators had not been put into commission two years after they were acquired.
The transport minister added that no aircraft or passengers were in danger due to the blackouts. KAA said that while generators powering the airport's runway and control tower remained functional, the one for its main passenger terminal did not.
Power outages at airports are a serious matter and will usually impact operations. For example, Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport was hit by a prolonged power cut in May, forcing the cancelation of around 40 flights. JFK Airport - one of the busiest airports in the US - suffered a high-profile power outage back in February, leading to 16 cancelations and scores more delays.
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Passengers stranded
Scores of passengers ended up stuck at Nairobi's airport due to the blackout - the inside of the terminal building remained in darkness for hours, with passengers having to use their phone torches for visibility. Flight operations were suspended, and travelers were forced to book hotel rooms for the night. The effects of the outage were experienced nationwide - including major hospitals and the President's office - and not just at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Kenya Power said the blackout occurred due to a "system disturbance leading to a loss of bulk power supply to various parts of the country." Kenya gets most of its energy from renewable sources but has had problems with national outages before, as recently as this May.
Were you impacted by the power outages in Kenya? Have you ever experienced long power outages in an airport before? Let us know your stories in the comments.
Source: BBC