A Nairobi-bound Air France plane was forced to return to Paris two hours after its departure due to mechanical problems.
According to reports, the flight AF 814 left Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport for Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Nairobi when the pilot informed the passengers that he had to divert back to Paris.
It was established that the plane had a problem with its de-icing system meaning that one engine could not clear the ice and it could not make it to Nairobi.
Further, the pilot defueled and turned back at Italian airspace near Verona city before landing in Paris at around 3pm.
“There is no way we can get to Nairobi, and we must turn back. We also must refuel as we have much fuel to land at Charles de Gaulle, but nothing to worry about,” Nation quotes the pilot.
Moreover, the reschedule flight was to leave Paris 2100 France time and land at JKIA on Tuesday, October 17 at 0630hrs East African Time.
“Unfortunately, your flight AF814 from Paris (CDG) to Nairobi (NBO) 0n 16.10.2023 has been delayed. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience. KLM will keep you informed of any updates,” Air France codeshare partner KLM said.
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Kenya Airways London Plane
This comes a days after a Kenya Airways flight was intercepted on October 2 by United Kingdom’s security agencies following a security threat.
In a statement, Kenya airways confirmed that the plane carrying passengers from Nairobi destined to the Heathrow airport in London was forced to land in Stansted Airport.
According to the statement, KQ received an alert of a potential security threat from agencies in the UK at around 1030 hours.
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However, the plane landed safely allowing the UK security agencies to carry out a risk assessment.
Further, the national carrier assured the public that the crew and passengers were safe emphasizing that the security of passengers is always a priority.
“KQ management in conjunction with authorities from the government of Kenya and the United Kingdom carried out a thorough assessment of the threat,’ the statement read in part.
According to the spokesperson of Stansted Airport, the Boeing 787 was escorted to an isolated parking space in the airport.
