Kenya tourists stranded by UK airline ban

A UK airline ban put in place after a terror alert has stranded hundreds of British tourists in Kenya.

A series of security alerts around the world have heightened concerns over further possible attacks by al-Qaeda. Following Monday’s bombing in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyyadh that killed 34 people, the US have warned of a possible imminent attack in Jeddah.

It is hoped that Kenya Airways will provide extra flights to help return the estimated 1,200 British travellers stranded as the British government halted flights by British Airways.

The last BA flight out of Nairobi airport touched down at Heathrow shortly after 4.50am on Friday. Relieved passengers described the stringent security checks put in place before the passengers and their baggage were allowed on board the BA plane. Though there were concerns about the lax security in place at the Kenyan airport.

The Foreign Office has advised against all non-essential travel to Kenya, and a Foreign Office minister said that the latest intelligence had left the British government extremely worried.

The flight ban was put in place following an “imminent” security alert apparently sparked by reports that claimed Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, an al-Qaeda terrorist suspected of being involved in the 1998 bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi had either returned to Kenya or was in neighbouring Somalia.

He is also wanted in connection with the car bomb attack on a Mombassa hotel last year.

Also in Nairobi last November a missile attack failed to hit an Israeli charter flight as it took off from Nairobi airport.

Kenya Airways confirmed that they were looking at the possibility of putting on extra flights to assist Britons to get home. It is understood that the terrorist threat specifically related to British airlines.

(SP)