The flight was on its way from Mauritius to Paris when it made the diversion at 1am GMT this morning. All 459 passengers and 14 crew were safely evacuated from the flight, the BBC has reported.
Upon closer inspection the bomb, which was found in a cupboard behind a mirror in a toilet, was found to be made of a cardboard box, paper and a timer.
Air France chief Frederic Gagey said it was an “extremely aggressive act” and Kenyan police are now questioning several passengers from the flight.
He added the airline would hold an inquiry into the event and charges would be pressed against those found responsible.
However, he denied there were any problems with airport security checks in Mauritius, pointing out the lack of explosives in the bomb meant it would not have been detected.