Flights resume at Nairobi airport

International flights resumed at Nairobi’s main airport early Thursday, with planes from London and Bangkok landing and more arrivals expected.  But the fire, which gutted the arrivals hall and part of the international departures section, could mark a massive impact on East Africa’s largest airport.

 The fire still smouldered Thursday and white smoke drifted in the air. Investigators say it is too early to ascertain the cause of the fire, though they have ruled out terrorism, and officials say they will build a makeshift international arrivals terminal within days.

According to the website of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), more than 5 million passengers per year flow through the aviation center, many landing there on their way to countries across the region.

The fire was a blow to Kenya at the start of the peak tourism season. The airport was operating at nearly twice its normal capacity. And it was not clear when airlines other than the national carrier Kenya Airways would also land at Nairobi.

“What is key is the speed at which this is normalized. If they can pull a rabbit out of the hat and get international flights moving they may bail themselves out,” said Aly Khan Satchu, a Nairobi-based analyst.

“If this drags on it’s going to damage Nairobi’s regional hub status.”

Reporters at the scene said the fire had gutted the international arrivals hall, where passengers pass through immigration and retrieve their luggage.

As in many countries in East Africa, public sector services like police and fire units are hobbled by small budgets and outdated or no equipment.

A British passenger, Martyn Collbeck, said he was surprised that the airport wasn't shut down sooner so that emergency vehicles could respond.

"When I arrived there were one or two fire engines parked outside the international arrivals. It spread very fast," said Collbeck, who had been scheduled to fly back to London on an early morning KLM flight. "There were a couple of explosions which I think were a couple of gas canisters."

But, he added: "I would have expected more fire engines to respond faster."

The Nairobi airport is the busiest airport in East Africa, and its closure is likely to affect flights throughout the region.

Wire services