He says passengers are checked, and sometimes double-checked on flights, and denied any security failure in the flight Sunday.
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One of the Facebook posts by the Kenya Airports Authority originally referred to the package as a bomb, but then later in the morning on Sunday the post was edited to refer to a “suspicious object”.
In France, a state of emergency has been in effect since the November 13 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. The attacks were claimed by the Islamic State group which promised more attacks against the country.
Regarding the passengers who were on the flight and the whole incident, Air France, in its statement said, “They are (being) taken care of by Mombasa’s airport ground staff and will be accommodated”.
Mr. Lucchini echoed the head of Air France’s sentiments about the collective cool of the flight crew.
Fellow passenger Steven Ciaran, a 30-year-old from Ireland maintained commotion in the cabin caused him some distress but the crew were very efficient in keeping everyone calm.
A box that was found in an airplane lavatory was taken apart, and no explosives were inside.
He said an inquiry must be carried out to determine who left the item in the restroom.
Six passengers were being questioned over the device, a police official said.
Aircraft crews have been on edge since a Russian airliner crashed in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula in late October, killing all 224 people on board. “I thought the plane had difficulty and not that it had anything to do with terrorism”, he said.
Several other flights scheduled at the airport were diverted or canceled during the emergency, it added.
The Mombasa airport was temporarily shut down but has since re-opened.
Gagey said a plane was being sent to bring the passengers back to France.
It was found by a passenger in a cupboard behind the restroom mirror, he said. “An investigation is being led by the authorities to identify the source of the threat”, it said.
Kenya Airways said its flights shall be experiencing flight disruptions due to temporary closure of Moi International airport for investigators.
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The Air France spokeswoman, who the Associated Press did not name, said local authorities were also interviewing passengers.
