RwandAir has said it is working closely with Ugandan local authorities, including the Ugandan Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), to investigate the circumstances around the incident under which its plane veered off the runway at Entebbe International Airport. RwandAir flight WB464 on Wednesday morning skidded off the runway and landed on a grassy soft area, in what preliminary analysis by the airline and the UCAA said was the adverse weather. This Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) flies from Kigali to Nairobi and has a capacity of 75 passenger seats, according to RwandAir Flight status. All the people aboard the plane were safe, the national carrier said in a statement it issued on Wednesday. The airline observed that the situation was under control and it was in contact with all affected customers. “Our Flight Crews are highly trained for all eventualities, including flying in adverse weather conditions,” RwandAir said in the statement, adding “The safety of our customers and crew is always our highest priority.” Following the incident, the Entebbe International Airport’s main runway (17/35) was closed for hours, affecting other flights. UCAA said that an alternative runway 12/30 was operational for small and light aircraft, pointing out that all efforts were underway to remove the RwandAir plane from the runway strip so that the main runway can return to full use. Later, at 5:32 pm, it announced on Twitter that the Airport’s main runway was open and flights have been given clearance to resume.
