Kenya Airways Issues Update On Plane Intercepted Over Security Threat
Kenya Airways further noted that it has offered to provide psychological support to passengers and crew affected by the incident.
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National carrier Kenya Airways has issued an update regarding a suspected security threat which saw one of its flights bound for London Heathrow from Nairobi intercepted by the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force (RAF).
In its statement on Thursday, October 12, KQ revealed that the plane which departed the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in the morning for Heathrow before it was diverted to London Stansted Airport was cleared to proceed with the journey.
"We received a security alert on the 12th Oct 2023 at approximately 10:30 am, from the UK Security agencies. This threat has since been established to have low credibility," stated the airline.
"The aircraft landed safely at London Stansted Airport, the incident has been stood down and the airport is open and is operating as normal. The security agencies cleared the aircraft and will be departing for London Heathrow to resume normal operations."
Emergency vehicles at the London Stansted Airport where a Kenya Airways plane was intercepted on October 12, 2023. /PLANE AUDITS
Kenya Airways further noted that it has offered to provide psychological support to passengers and crew affected by the incident.
"We sincerely regret the inconvenience to our passengers and crew and would like to thank them for their patience. We will provide any necessary counselling support and will communicate directly to our passengers on how they receive it," added the statement.
KQ maintained that they prioritise the safety of their customers.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane, which was reportedly intercepted by RAF fighter jets, was diverted to Stansted Airport in London for security clearance by UK government security personnel.
Stansted is the designated airport for dealing with security issues in the UK. According to aviation news platform Simple Flying, the airport's proximity to key Royal Air Force bases allows key resources to be swiftly deployed while the size of the location enables potential risks to be isolated from other areas.
The Daily Mail first reported that heavy police presence as well as that of emergency first responders surrounded Stansted Airport, with a section of UK media also reporting that a bomb squad were also at the scene.
The aircraft was reported to have landed safely and was escorted to a remote stand with Essex Police in attendance. It was searched by investigators and then moved to a docking station to allow passengers to disembark.
The flight was reportedly intercepted by RAF fighter jets from its quick response alert. The large emergency services presence included eight crews from the fire service, while the airport was open and flights were operating as normal.
The flight, KQ100, departed Nairobi at 9:18 am, after a 13-minute delay.
It was not immediately established what triggered the major security alert and the subsequent diversion, coming just three days after KQ confirmed a medical emergency declared after a passenger was taken ill. Coincidentally, the emergency was declared on the same flight from Nairobi to London.
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