Kenya Airways passengers have had a rough month after the national carrier was forced to cancel its New York flight over the weekend, just weeks after another aircraft heading to the same destination had to turn back mid-air due to technical problems.
The airline announced on Sunday that flight KQ003 from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, which was scheduled for Saturday, July 18, had been cancelled due to severe weather conditions affecting airport operations.
In a statement, Kenya Airways explained that the decision was made with the safety and comfort of passengers and crew in mind. The airline said the flight would resume once weather conditions improve and all required safety, regulatory and air traffic clearance procedures have been completed.
"We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank our guests for their patience and understanding. We will continue to keep our affected guests updated with the latest information," the statement read.
The cancellation comes barely two weeks after another Kenya Airways flight bound for New York was forced to return to Nairobi following a technical issue while flying over Chad.
That incident involved flight KQ 002D, which departed Nairobi on Sunday, July 5, and experienced a flight controls spoiler malfunction. The crew followed required safety procedures and made the decision to return to Nairobi for further inspection of the aircraft.
Kenya Airways explained that spoiler malfunctions are rare but can occur, and they cause increased drag and fuel consumption. The airline assured passengers that pilots are trained to proficiently handle these scenarios safely, and that air turnbacks are standard safety procedures.
The aircraft was expected to land safely on July 6 at 00:30Hrs for further technical evaluation by the airline's engineering teams.
Passengers affected by the latest cancellation have been assured they will continue receiving updates on the situation as the airline works to resolve the weather-related disruption.
The back-to-back incidents have put Kenya Airways under the spotlight, but the airline has maintained that safety remains its top priority in all operations.
0 Comments