Cape Town, South Africa: A Kenya Airways Boeing 737-800 suffered a tyre burst after landing at Cape Town International Airport in South Africa on Tuesday afternoon, forcing the temporary closure of the airport’s main runway, disrupting flight operations and leading to the cancellation of the airline’s return service to Nairobi.
The incident involved Kenya Airways Flight KQ784, a scheduled service from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) to Cape Town International Airport (CPT). The aircraft involved has been identified as Boeing 737-800 registration 5Y-CYC. According to aviation incident databases, the aircraft had earlier diverted to Port Elizabeth before completing the final sector to Cape Town, although neither the airline nor airport authorities have publicly explained the reason for the intermediate stop.
Kenya Airways said the aircraft landed safely at approximately 15:30 local time before experiencing a tyre burst during the landing roll. While the airline described the event as involving a tyre burst, aviation incident reports indicate that the aircraft sustained burst tyres, leaving it disabled on Runway 19 and unable to vacate the runway under its own power. The aircraft remained on the runway for around three and a half hours before recovery crews successfully removed it. No injuries were reported.
In an official customer update, Kenya Airways confirmed that its crew followed established emergency procedures throughout the incident.”Kenya Airways PLC confirms that on 04 August 2026, at approximately 15:30 hrs local time, our flight KQ784, on a scheduled service from Nairobi to Cape Town, safely landed and experienced a tyre burst upon landing.”
The airline added, “Our crew acted in accordance with their safety training. All passengers and crew have safely disembarked and have been taken to the airport terminal.”
As engineers began inspecting the aircraft, Kenya Airways cancelled the scheduled return service, Flight KQ785 from Cape Town to Nairobi.
The airline said, “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.”
It also apologised to affected travellers, stating, “We sincerely apologise 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 airline said passengers affected by the cancellation would be contacted directly regarding alternative travel arrangements and assistance.
The disabled aircraft triggered significant operational disruption at Cape Town International Airport.
Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) issued an operational update shortly after the incident, confirming that arriving flights were diverted to alternate airports while the runway remained closed. Domestic departures continued operating, but international wide-body departures were temporarily suspended because runway availability was restricted.
ACSA advised passengers to contact the airport before travelling for the latest information on delays and diversions while recovery operations continued. Airport teams worked alongside Kenya Airways and other stakeholders to remove the aircraft and restore runway operations safely.
Later in the evening, Cape Town International Airport announced that runway operations had resumed, although airlines were expected to continue experiencing delays while recovering their schedules following the prolonged closure.
At present, neither Kenya Airways nor South African aviation authorities have disclosed the cause of the tyre failure. No preliminary findings have been released, and there has been no indication of damage beyond the landing gear tyres. The incident remains under technical inspection, with engineers working to return the aircraft to service once repairs and safety checks are completed.
