This archive report was first published on 18 December 2019.
On Tuesday night, a Kenya Airways flight bound for Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) was grounded at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York due to a technical issue with the aircraft's door.
According to K24 Digital, the passengers had already boarded the flight when the announcement was made, forcing them to stay at the airport for over six hours.
As a precautionary measure, some passengers were asked to disembark, with Kenya Airways promising them an alternative flight, an extra $500, and food as they waited for another plane.
One of the stranded passengers, Grace Wacuka, recounted their experience, saying they had to wait for food for over 10 hours, despite being told they would be given food.
‘We were at JFK in New York and the flight was supposed to leave at 1 pm. We sat in the flight for about one-and-a-half hours when we were told that 58 people were required to leave, at about 3 pm, the last person left,’ Wacuka told K24 Digital.
The incident occurred just weeks after Kenya Airways celebrated one year since the launch of nonstop flights between Nairobi and New York.
As of now, Kenya Airways has yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident, and attempts to reach outgoing CEO Sebastian Mikosz for comment were unsuccessful.
