Kenya Airways has issued an explanation for why a plane that took off from Nairobi bound for Dubai on Friday was diverted.
In a statement issued on Friday, KQ described the turnback as a standard precautionary measure.
“Air turnback are standard safety procedures in aviation. We sincerely apologize to our guests for the inconvenience and assure our customers that their safety and that of our crew is our highest priority,” the statement read in part.
KQ said at approximately 9:20 pm, the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Air Traffic Control encountered Tyre debris during a regular runway inspection.
After moving to inspect, KQ said it was established by their operations team that the Tyre debris was from KQ 310, which had departed on a scheduled operation from Nairobi to Dubai.
According to Skybrary, Tyre debris is dangerous as it means there is an object in an inappropriate location that can damage equipment or even injure personnel.
Skybrary is an electronic repository of safety knowledge related to flight operations, air traffic management (ATM) and aviation safety in general.
“The KQ operations team contacted the crew and agreed on a precautionary air turnback to Nairobi for further technical attention,” KQ explained.
The crew followed the precautionary safety procedures in consultation with operations control and returned to Nairobi safely, landing at 11:46pm without incident.
KQ said the passengers were provided with accommodation as arrangements were made to rebook them on the next available flight.
This comes after Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and CEO Allan Kilavuka announced on Friday that KQ aeroplanes that had been grounded have returned to service.
The airline said the planes are now operational.
“All our Boeing 787 Dreamliners fleet are now up and flying. Your safety and comfort are our priority, even as we work to resolve these challenges,” Kilavuka said in a statement.
He said the availability of the components has enhanced the airline’s operational efficiency.
Kilavuka said the airline will continue to work closely with its partners and suppliers to expedite the timely delivery of components and keep “disruptions, if any, down to a minimum”.
