Kenya Airways Plane suffers a burst tire upon landing in Cape Town | Return flight to Nairobi cancelled

A Kenya Airways plane suffered a burst Tyre upon landing at the Cape Town International Airport in South Africa.

Reports say the passengers travelling between Nairobi and Cape Town were however not harmed despite being shocked and traumatized by the incident.

Due to the accident, the Kenya Airways’ return flight from South Africa to Nairobi had to be cancelled.

Kenya Airways (KQ) management confirmed on Tuesday that flight KQ784, which departed Nairobi for Cape Town, on the 4^th of August 2026 experienced a tyre burst after landing in South Africa at approximately 3:30pm local time.

The airline however assured that there were no injuries, with everyone on board safely evacuated.

“Our crew acted in accordance with their safety training. All passengers and crew have safely disembarked and have been taken to the airport terminal,” the airline claimed in a statement.

The incident forced Kenya Airways to cancel the return service, KQ785, as engineers began repairs on the aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 registered as 5Y-CYC.

“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,” the airline added.

The cancellation is therefore expected to disrupt travel plans for passengers booked on the Cape Town-to-Nairobi service, with Kenya Airways saying it would contact affected customers directly to arrange further assistance.

Kenya Airways thus apologized for the inconvenience caused, while reiterating that passenger and crew safety remained its highest priority.

“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this incident has caused. We thank our customers for their patience, cooperation and support, and our crew for their professionalism. The safety and well-being of our crew and guests is always our top priority,” the statement read.

The incident caused wider operational disruptions at Cape Town International Airport, with authorities confirming that arriving flights were temporarily diverted after the Kenya Airways aircraft suffered the wheel mishaps upon landing at around 3:25pm.

In a notice issued on Tuesday evening, the Cape Town airport management said the incident had affected runway operations, forcing inbound aircraft to land at alternative airports.

“Travelers are advised to contact the passenger service contact number on +27 21 937 1200 for the latest flight updates, including any delays or diversions, before travelling to the airport.”

“Further updates will be provided as they become available,” the statement added.

The airport noted that while domestic departures continued to operate as scheduled, wide-body departures were temporarily suspended until normal runway operations resumed.

It was explained later that the tyre burst occurred on the runway, prompting airport authorities to divert incoming flights to Johannesburg while crews worked to clear the affected area and restore normal operations.

Incidents of Aircraft tyre bursts are relatively uncommon, in aviation but they are a known occurrence in commercial flights and are factored into aircraft design and safety procedures.

Experts point out that Aircraft tyres operate under extremely high pressure—often between 180 and 220 psi—and endure heavy loads and intense heat during take-off and landing.