KQ Pilot Ruth Karauri Praised After Skillfully Landing at London's Heathrow Airport Amid Storm Eunice

Kenya Airways (KQ) pilot Captain Ruth Karauri has earned praise after she skillfully landed a plane at London’s Heathrow Airport in extreme weather conditions on Friday.

A video ( https://www.facebook.com/1272634014/videos/476322320806593/) emerged online showing KQ100 flight navigating through Storm Eunice that has wreaked havoc in the UK and other parts of Europe in the last few days.

Capt. Karauri, who was in the company of first officer Ayoob Harunany, says she used the training she has received from Kenya Airways to steer the plane to the runway.

"This is Captain Ruth Karauri of the now-famous KQ100 at London Heathrow. With me is my first officer of the day, Ayoob Harunany. We had the pleasure of encountering storm Eunice at London Heathrow yesterday. We were landing on the Westerly Runway into Heathrow,” she says in a video posted by KQ.

She added: "The flight conditions were strong gusting winds and it was quite a bumpy ride. However, thanks to the training we have had at Kenya Airways, particularly in the simulator, prepared us for such a scenario. We used all our training expertise and skills that we have managed to learn over the years at Kenya Airways and we handled the learning expertly.” 

UK High Commissioner to Kenya Jane Marriot and CBK Governor Patrick Njoroge are among those who lauded Capt. Karauri for successfully landing the plane.

“You’ve seen the videos of planes struggling to land at LHR yesterday with #StormEunice. The exception was KQ’s Capt. Ruth Karauri who landed the 787 like a boss! Congrats Captain, and F/O Ayoob Harunany. Please cue in “The Best” by Tina Turner,” posted Njoroge.

Marriot tweeted: "Hongera Capt. Ruth Karauri on the successful landing in Storm Eunice.”

Cpt. Karauri is the wife of SportPesa CEO Captain Ronald Karauri, a former KQ pilot who is eyeing the Kasarani parliamentary seat in the forthcoming elections.