The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that the 55 Air France passengers who were diverted to Lome, Togo, due to bad weather in Abuja will return to Nigeria tonight.
The passengers were housed in a four-star hotel in Lome, Togo, after their flight from Paris was diverted due to inclement weather in Abuja on Thursday.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had raised concerns over the airline’s handling of the situation, insisting that the passengers must either be brought back to Nigeria or taken care of in accordance with international standards.
Keyamo took to his social media handle to express his dissatisfaction with the airline’s decision to leave the passengers in Lome until the next day, despite the fact that the same flight was scheduled to return to Abuja to pick up passengers.
However, in an update, the NCAA spokesperson, Michael Achimugu, reported that an Air France aircraft will arrive from Paris tonight to transport all 55 passengers to Abuja.
“The Nigerians in this situation (due to weather) are comfortably housed in a 4-star hotel in Lome. An Air France aircraft will arrive from Paris tonight to transport all 55 passengers to Abuja,” Achimugu said.
The NCAA spokesperson also appreciated the minister for his quick intervention in the matter.
The situation is being monitored, and the airline will submit a compliance report afterwards.
