Air France Flight to Nairobi Turns Back to Paris Over Mechanical Problems

On Monday night, there was a moment of panic when an Air France flight bound for Nairobi had to change course and return to Paris due to mechanical issues that arose during the flight.

The pilot of Flight AF 814, which departed from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, alerted the passengers about the problem approximately two hours into the journey. He informed them that the Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner was encountering difficulties with its de-icing system, resulting in one of the engines being unable to remove ice. Consequently, he made the decision to turn back to Paris, as reaching Nairobi was no longer feasible. The pilot reassured the anxious passengers, including elite athlete Nelvin Jepkemboi, winner of the 10km Paris road race held the previous Sunday, that there was no cause for concern. He also mentioned that the aircraft needed to reduce its fuel level before landing at Charles de Gaulle, but assured everyone that this was a routine procedure.

The pilot proceeded to dump the excess fuel as the plane circled back from Italian airspace near Verona, finally touching down in Paris at around 3 p.m. This incident occurred just a few days after a Kenya Airways flight from London to Nairobi was forced to turn back to Heathrow Airport because of a medical emergency. The pilot declared an emergency shortly after take-off, prompting the flight to return to its original departure point.

Kenya Airways confirmed the incident, stating that a passenger fell ill and required immediate medical attention. The crew provided first aid on board, but the decision was made to return to London for further medical assistance. The aircraft landed safely and was met by medical personnel at 1447 hours. The passenger was then transported to a medical facility for additional medical care. Subsequently, the flight was deemed secure and carried on with its voyage.