Bad weather: Foreign airlines count loses over flight delay, cancellations
- Delta flies passengers back to NY from Accra
- Airlines get extra landing, parking costs, others
- Ethiopian diverts to Abuja airport
Flight cancellations and diversion have taken a toll on foreign airlines as some of them are counting their losses while others are yet to come to terms with inclement weather that prevented them from landing in Lagos.
While British Airways, Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines diverted to Accra, Ghana to allow visibility to improve in Lagos, Delta cancelled ita flight today as it plans to operate into Lagos tomorrow afternoon.
A top airline chief who spoke under condition of anonymity said the airlines are made to bear the brunt of some people that didn’t do their work very well.
He lamented that the cost of extra landing outside their original destination, parking costs, accommodation of their passengers in hotels are all extra costs that were not charged for and unforeseen.
He equally stated that many passengers missed their connecting flights as a result of the problem which led to stranding of passengers.
The Duty Manager of Delta Air, Mr. Napoleon announced the cancellation of its Atlanta-Lagos flight ‘due to bad weather condition in Lagos and now estimated to arrive Lagos at 14.00hrs of tomorrow February 13, 2020 if the weather improves’.
He further stated that no accommodation will be provided since it is a force majure but said intending passengers may be endorsed on KLM-Air France subject to seat availability.
The Delta aircraft which landed in Accra however departed Accra back to US without getting to Lagos; a tortuous 12 hours flight back to Atlanta.
This is frustrating to the airline and passengers and bigger loss to the carrier because the tickets are deemed not to have been flown.
He explained that all the affected passengers were not having Ghanaian visa, adding that the flight had been rescheduled to depart from Accra to New York at 17.30hrs today.
While other airlines chose to go to Accra, Ethiopian diverted to Abuja.
The Duty Manager of the airline Mr. Abiola disclosed that the flight had been diverted to Abuja due to bad weather condition in Lagos.
The flight originally scheduled to land at 1pm arrived Lagos at 18.30hrs.
