/ 5 May 2007

Kenya Airways loses contact with airliner

Kenya Airways has lost contact with a commercial airliner carrying more than 100 passengers that took off from Cameroon early on Saturday, the airline said. ''The last message was received in Douala after take-off and thereafter the tower was unable to contact the plane,'' Kenya Airways CEO Titus Naikuni said on Saturday.

Kenya Airways has lost contact with a commercial airliner carrying more than 100 passengers that took off from Cameroon early on Saturday, the airline said.

”The last message was received in Douala after take-off and thereafter the tower was unable to contact the plane,” Kenya Airways CEO Titus Naikuni said on Saturday.

The 737-800 was carrying 106 passengers, eight crew members and a flight engineer, he said.

”We have no details about what has happened to the aircraft,” Naikuni said.

The flight departed Douala at 12.05am and was to arrive in Nairobi at 6.15am. The flight originated in Côte d’Ivoire but stopped in Cameroon to pick up more passengers, the airline said.

The airline opened a crisis-management centre near the airport.

George Muhoho, managing director of the Kenya Airports Authority, said he had no details other than what was on the airline’s statement. – Sapa-AP