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Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin

A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight. Air France said in an emailed statement that the Boeing 787 was diverted to Nunavut’s capital and landed just before noon local time Tuesday. The plane had 260 passenger, three pilots and nine cabin crew on board. The airline said technical checks on the plane were underway to determine if it could continue to Seattle or passengers needed to be rerouted. "Air France regrets the inconvenience caused by this situation and reiterates that the safety of its customers and crews is its absolute imperative," it said. A Nunavut government spokesperson said no damage or injuries were reported. Weichien Chan said in an email that the Iqaluit Airport Authority was working with the airline to provide help. The Iqaluit International Airport is located next to the city and has one asphalt runway. It's included in flight plans as a diversion airport for many airlines and private operators that travel on polar routes between North America, Asia and Europe, Chan said. The airport sees plane diversions for technical or medical issues once every two to three months, Chan added.<br/>

Congo military releases 2 Kenya Airways staffers held for 2 weeks over cargo dispute

The Republic of Congo’s military has released two Kenya Airways staffers who were detained for two weeks in a cargo dispute, Kenya’s foreign ministry said Monday. The staffers’ detention had led Kenya Airways to suspend flights to Congo, but the state-owned airline said flights would resume Wednesday. The airline said it had rejected the cargo because it didn’t have the required documentation. The nature of the cargo, described as “valuable,” hasn’t been disclosed. Congo’s military had arrested the staffers from the airline’s offices in the main airport in the capital, Kinshasa. A military court granted the airline’s application for their release but the military continued to hold them. Kenya and Congo have cordial relations, with Kenya participating in U.N-backed peacekeeping missions in Congo. The Kenyan Embassy in Congo negotiated for the release of the staffers, Foreign Ministry Principal Secretary Korir Singoei had said. Colleagues and embassy officials were only granted a few minutes with the two. Singoei met the family of one of the detained staffers and assured them that their kin would be safe and “fairly treated” by the authorities in Congo.<br/>