NAIROBI, Kenya – A Kenya Airways flight bound for New York was forced to return to Nairobi on Sunday evening after developing a technical fault while flying over Chad.
In a customer update issued on Monday, the national carrier said flight KQ002D, which departed Nairobi on July 5, 2026, experienced a flight controls spoiler malfunction at around 7:50 p.m.
According to the airline, the crew opted to turn the aircraft back to Nairobi as a precautionary safety measure.
“For the safety of our guests and crew onboard, the crew followed precautionary safety checks and elected to return to Nairobi for further technical evaluation by our teams,” Kenya Airways said.
The airline said the aircraft was expected to land safely at 12:30 a.m. on July 6.
Kenya Airways apologised to passengers for the disruption, reiterating that the safety of its customers and crew remains its top priority.
“We sincerely apologise to our customers for the inconvenience and assure them that their safety and that of our crew are our highest priority,” the statement read.
The airline added that affected passengers would be assisted with alternative travel arrangements at the earliest opportunity.
“We will assist customers with their travel itinerary on the next available flight as soon as possible,” Kenya Airways said.
Addressing concerns over the incident, the airline explained that spoiler malfunctions, while uncommon, can occur and are handled using established safety procedures.
“Spoiler malfunctions are rare but can occur, and they cause increased drag and fuel consumption. Our pilots are trained to proficiently handle these scenarios safely, and air turnbacks are standard safety procedures,” the airline stated.
Kenya Airways did not indicate whether the technical fault had been resolved, saying the aircraft would undergo further evaluation by its technical teams before returning to service.