Kenya Airways has confirmed that one of its aircraft experienced a tyre burst after landing safely at Cape Town International Airport on Tuesday afternoon, forcing the cancellation of the return flight to Nairobi.
In a customer update issued via X account on August 4, 2026, the national carrier said flight KQ784, operating from Nairobi to Cape Town, landed safely at approximately 3:30 p.m. local time before the tyre burst occurred during landing.
The airline said the crew acted in line with established safety procedures and that all passengers and crew members disembarked safely and were escorted to the airport terminal.
“As a result of this incident, we have cancelled the return flight KQ785 as our engineers and technical team work to get the aircraft fixed,” Kenya Airways said in the statement.
KQ apology to affected passengers
The airline did not disclose the number of passengers on board or indicate how long repairs were expected to take.
Kenya Airways apologised for the disruption caused to travellers and assured affected passengers that their safety remained the airline’s top priority.
“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this incident has caused. The safety and well-being of our crew and guests is always our top priority,” the statement added.
The carrier said it would contact affected passengers directly to provide further assistance and travel arrangements.
Passengers seeking information were advised to contact Kenya Airways Customer Excellence through its official phone and WhatsApp channels or via the airline’s support account on X (@KQSupport).
The incident comes as airlines continue to maintain strict safety protocols for landing gear and tyre-related events, which, while uncommon, can occur during take-off or landing due to operational and mechanical factors.
