Kenya Airways has swiftly responded to concerns arising from the interception of one of its flights by the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force (RAF) on a recent Thursday afternoon.
In a statement issued on Thursday night, KQ reassured the public that the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, originally bound for London Heathrow but diverted to Stansted Airport was given the green light to continue its journey.
Kenya Airways went on to declare that the security threat which prompted the diversion had a “low credibility.” They released an official statement stating, “We received a security alert on the 12th of October, 2023, at approximately 10:30 am, from UK security agencies. Subsequent investigations revealed that this threat had a low credibility.”
Furthermore, the airline reported, “The aircraft landed safely at London Stansted Airport, the incident has been resolved, and the airport is operating as usual. The security agencies have cleared the aircraft, and it will soon depart for London Heathrow to resume normal operations.”
In response to the incident, Kenya Airways has extended a helping hand by offering psychological support to affected passengers and crew. Their statement expressed sincere regret for any inconvenience caused and gratitude for the patience of passengers. It also mentioned their commitment to providing the necessary counseling support directly to passengers.
The KQ flight, allegedly intercepted by fighter jets, was redirected to London’s Stansted Airport for security clearance by UK government security personnel. Stansted Airport is the designated facility for addressing security issues in the UK.
The exact reason behind the diversion remains unclear, though reports from London suggest the presence of bomb squads rushing to the scene.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner departed from Nairobi at 9:18 am, with a minor 13-minute delay.
