AIR FRANCE AIRCRAFT
NCAA: Air France to Airlift Passengers to Abuja by 9:30 Monday
About 61 Nigerian passengers on an Air France flight from Paris to Abuja were stranded in Chad after an unexpected flight disruption due to technical hitches.
The aircraft, which had earlier made a stop in Chad to drop off some passengers enroute Abuja, left the Nigerians stranded without engagement on why the fight was being delayed.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this in a post on his X handle yesterday, wrote, “It has come to my attention that some Nigerians on an Air France flight from Paris to Abuja are presently stranded in Chad, from where the flight earlier dropped some passengers.”
The Minister said he has directed the Consumer Protection Department of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to engage with Air France urgently to resolve the issue.
“I have immediately directed the Consumer Protection Department of NCAA to swing into action and engage Air France. We shall inform everyone of the outcome soon,” the Minister stated.
The Minister said he has directed the Consumer Protection Department of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to engage with Air France urgently to resolve the issue.
“I have immediately directed the Consumer Protection Department of NCAA to swing into action and engage Air France. We shall inform everyone of the outcome soon,” the minister stated.
He also urged Air France to promptly state the fate of the stranded Nigerians and the measures being taken to assist them.
“I urge @AirFranceNG to immediately issue a statement on the fate of those Nigerians,” he added.
Prompted by the Minister, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) contacted the airline and had discussions on the welfare of the passengers.
According to the Director of Communications and Consumer Protection, NCAA, Michael Achimugu, who spoke to THISDAY, the aircraft developed technical problem due to bad weather and the airline has concluded plan to ferry aircraft from Paris on Sunday to Chad, from where it would airlift the stranded passengers by 9:30 am Nigerian time to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
Achimugu also told THISDAY that the airline had provided the passengers accommodation and feeding and programmed to airlift them on Monday morning, adding that NCAA is looking at the possibility of flying them today to their destination.
“NCAA has engaged the airline official in Nigeria who explained that the aircraft operating the flight developed technical problem in Chad due to bad weather and as it is enshrined in the regulation, the airline is supposed to provide the passengers accommodation and feeding. They have done that. Aircraft would leave Charles de Gaul Airport, Paris on Monday to Chad and would airlift the passengers to Abuja by 9:30 am. But we are also looking at the possibility of bringing the passengers to Nigeria tomorrow (today),” Achimugu said.
