Flight diversion rocks airports, Minister, NCAA apologise

• Agency replacing old landing aids

Nigeria’s international airports in Abuja and Lagos, the country’s commercial hub city continue to suffer flight diverts from international carriers as the country experiences her craziest harmattan weather in recent time.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika have offered explanations and apologies simultaneously, in what appears to be the sector’s newest embarrassing scenario, maintaining that the international airlines were diverting flights for safety reason.

The recent development leaves nothing other than suggesting that the country’s airports could be having safety issues with regards to aircraft landing.

Rendering his apology over the development, Sirika noted the continuous difficulties being experienced by the airlines to land at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos stating that authorities were in the process of replacing the old Category 2 Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) with the newly procured Category 3 system that allows for the lowest visibility landing before the current issues arose.

The Minister who expressed concern over the present situation that has been ongoing for three days now, noting that the experiences of air travellers to and from the MMIA regarding flight diversions and, in many cases, outright cancellations, due to highly inclement weather conditions were regrettable.

“While these developments are greatly regretted, we wish to let the public know that the authorities at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos was in the process of replacing the old Category 2 ILS with the newly procured Category 3 system that allows for the lowest visibility landing. Unfortunately, there was a malfunctioning of certain components, which, coupled with the unforeseen weather conditions, made landing at the airport difficult,” the minister said in a statement on Thursday.

Sirika however, decried the diversion of flights to other country. According to him, the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja could have conveniently handled those flights informing that Qatar Airways is already doing so:

“On the diversion of incoming international flights to neighbouring countries, we wish to reiterate that the decisions are purely those of the airlines which we have no control over. However, it should be noted that those flights could, and should have been rerouted to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja which is shorter or equidistant from Lagos to the foreign airports to which some of the flights have been diverted.

“In recognition of Abuja as an alternate airport, Qatar airlines has applied to divert its flights to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport, to which the Minister granted immediate approval. It is left to be seen why some others decided to divert to another country.

“We wish to use this medium to assure the general public that the comfort, safety and security of the flying populace remains the central focus of this administration and that no effort would be spared in ensuring this,” he said.

Since December, international airlines have been diverting flights from Lagos, but most of the incidents went unreported until report of British Airways diversion from Lagos to Accra went viral on January 7.

Rabiu Yadudu managing director of Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), had said the airline only diverted as required by its standard operating procedure (SOP).

“BA diverted on its own accord not because they couldn’t land, but because they felt their own SOP demands that they divert,” Yadudu said.

However, the Lagos airport’s weakness came bare when Lagos-bound foreign airlines diverted to Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana in their numbers on Wednesday.

Wole Shadare