KQ flight cleared after security alert in UK

Kenya Airways flight KQ100 cleared for takeoff after a security alert diversion. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Kenya Airways (KQ) says its flight KQ100 from Nairobi to London Heathrow, which was diverted to London Stansted Airport due to a security alert, has been cleared by the UK security agencies.

In a statement on Thursday, October 12, the airline said following the clearance it was ready to resume its normal operations.

The company said it received a security alert from the UK security agencies on Thursday at approximately 10:30 am, but the threat has since been established to have low credibility.

“We immediately alerted the relevant KQ Operations team including the crew onboard. The crew then took the necessary security measures as per our operating manuals. No security incident occurred during or after the flight,” the statement said.

The aircraft landed safely at London Stansted Airport, where it underwent security checks by the authorities.

The airline said the incident has been stood down and the airport is open and operating as normal.

“The security agencies cleared the aircraft and will be departing for London Heathrow to resume normal operations,” the statement added.

The airline apologized to its passengers and crew for the inconvenience caused by the diversion and thanked them for their patience. It also praised its crew for their professionalism during the incident.

“We will provide any necessary counselling support and will communicate directly to our passengers on how they receive it. The safety and security of our crew and customers is our number one priority,” said the airline.