Operators step into action after Kenya airport fire
Tour operators are putting contingency plans in place following a huge fire at Nairobi airport today which has led to the cancellation of all flights.
It is estimated that over 50,000 Brits travel to Kenya and Tanzania during July, August and September to see the Great Migration of animals through the Mara and Serengeti.
The fire will have a major impact on the tour operators and safari providers whose customers travel to and via Nairobi airport.
Andrew Dunn, chairman of Scott Dunn, said its staff were working hard to ensure its guests who have booked holidays into Kenya and the surrounding region are being cared for and given alternative travel options where possible.
"We are also ensuring that our teams on the ground are assisting guests who are due to fly back to the UK," he said.
Mikey Carr-Hartley, owner of The Safari Collection which includes the Giraffe Manor hotel in Nairobi, said: "We are waiting for more information from the airlines and the tour operators that we work with to find out what the alternative options are.
"We would hope that the airport teams can get the airport up and running again as soon as possible as none of us wish to have guests travelling hundreds of miles by road to alternative airports such as Dar es Salaam.
"We are completely full at this time of year so are doing everything we can to ensure our guests have a smooth journey."
Meanwhile, Kuoni said its operations team is working closely with ground agents in Kenya to ensure that any customers who are currently in resort and were impacted by the closure of the airport, or new arrivals, are contacted and their itineraries amended accordingly.
"Customers will be contacted on a rolling basis," it said.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026