A Kenya Airways (KQ) aircraft flying to Cairo, Egypt, has made an emergency landing in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, after encountering engine trouble, the airline’s chief executive said Wednesday.
Titus Naikuni said the captain of the 737-700 plane chose to return to the Khartoum International Airport, where it had made a stopover, as a standard safety precaution.
The aircraft, with 56 passengers and seven crew members on board, took off from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
“Kenya Airways would like to inform its passengers, customers, investors and the public that its flight KQ320/1st January2013 from Khartoum to Cairo made an air turn back and landed safely at the same airport at 2136hrs local time due to an Engine Malfunction,” Naikuni said in a statement.
“And at no time was the safety of the passengers, crew or aircraft compromised or at risk. All passengers and crew on board are safe and have been offered Hotel accommodation,” the airline executive said.
He said arrangements were being made to complete the travel for the affected passengers, who are now scheduled to travel on another KQ flight Wednesday.
