A Kenya Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for New York-JFK was forced to turn back to Nairobi on Sunday after its crew reported a problem with the aircraft’s flight controls.
In a statement, Kenya Airways said the crew encountered a “flight controls spoiler malfunction” while flying over Chad. The pilots conducted precautionary safety checks and elected to return to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
“We sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and assure them that their safety and that of our crew are our highest priority,” the carrier said.
Kenya Airways did not specify the kind of aircraft involved, but data collected by FlightAware shows the airline uses a 787-8 on its Nairobi-JFK route.
“Spoiler malfunctions are rare but can occur, and they cause increased drag and fuel consumption,” the carrier added. “Our pilots are trained to proficiently handle these scenarios safely, and air turnbacks are standard safety procedures.”
The airplane landed safely, and no injuries were reported among the passengers or crew. No further details about the malfunction were immediately available.
According to FlightAware, Kenya Airways typically completes flights from Nairobi to JFK in just under 15 hours.
