Cape Town Airport Runway Shut After Kenya Airways Boeing 737-800 Tire Failure

Cape Town International Airport shut its main runway on Tuesday after a Kenya Airways aircraft suffered tire failure during landing. All passengers and crew disembarked safely, according to airport officials.

The incident involved flight KQ784, a Boeing 737-800 arriving from Nairobi, which experienced tire failure during the landing roll.

 The aircraft was left disabled on the runway, forcing authorities to close it while emergency crews responded and engineers assessed the plane. Airport operator Airports Company South Africa confirmed that no injuries occurred.

What happened on the runway

The Kenya Airways flight landed at Cape Town International without incident until the tire failure occurred during the rollout phase. The aircraft came to rest on the runway, leaving controllers no option but to close it to arriving traffic while recovery teams worked to move the plane.

Airport teams worked alongside Kenya Airways and other stakeholders to recover the aircraft and clear it from the runway.

Flights diverted and delayed

With the main runway disabled, arriving flights were diverted to alternate airports, and international departures were temporarily unable to operate because the aircraft blocked the primary runway. Domestic departures continued to operate throughout the disruption. 

Cape Town International handles a large share of South Africa's domestic and international traffic, and the closure created ripple effects across the network. Airports Company South Africa advised passengers to contact the airport directly for the latest information before traveling to the terminal.

Airports Company South Africa said the runway reopened Tuesday evening, once the aircraft had been cleared from the runway and the airport had carried out the necessary safety checks. Some delays were expected to continue as airlines worked to reposition aircraft and crews to their planned schedules.

Kenya Airways response

Kenya Airways confirmed the incident. In a statement, the airline said its engineers and technical team were working to assess and recover the aircraft.

Tire failures on landing are not uncommon in commercial aviation, though they rarely lead to serious injury. 

Aircraft tires operate under extreme loads and temperatures, and manufacturers build them to withstand hard landings and abrasive contact with runway surfaces. When they fail, the results range from minor delays to full runway closures like the one in Cape Town.

What passengers should do

Delays and cancellations may continue even after the runway reopens, as aircraft and crews get repositioned to their planned schedules.

Travelers who were booked on the affected Kenya Airways flight can contact the carrier directly for information about rebooking, refunds, or accommodation.

Cape Town International's role

Cape Town International is the second busiest airport in South Africa, serving millions of passengers each year. The airport handles a mix of domestic routes, regional African flights, and long-haul international services to Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.

The closure highlights how a single incident can disrupt operations at a major hub. With one main runway carrying most of the traffic, any obstruction forces immediate schedule changes across dozens of flights.

The runway has since reopened and flight operations have resumed, though some residual delays and cancellations may continue as airlines recover their schedules.