Flights resume at Lagos airport, Minister assures full services

Foreign airlines have begun normal flight operations to Lagos following Harmattan haze that led to diversion and cancellation of flights for five days consecutively.

Among airlines that landed at the Lagos airport were British Airways’ flight 075 from London, Turkish Airlines, Meanwhile, the Ministry of Aviation in a statement by Director, Public Affairs, Dr. James Odaudu disclosed that the diversions and cancellations were as a result of highly inclement weather conditions that are not peculiar to Lagos or Nigeria, but a global phenomenon.

He explained that even the most developed nations of the world have been experiencing same, resulting from weather vagaries.Royal Air Maroc, Virgin Atlantic, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines.

Others were British Airways BAW75, Arik Air from Dubai, ASKY, Allied Air, while virtually all the domestic airlines landed their planes in Lagos.

Domestic arrivals included Allied Air, Air Peace, Arik, Dana, Nest Oil, NAF, Azman, Max Air, Ibom Air.

According to Odaudu, “We also wish to re-establish the fact that the weather conditions in Lagos, and indeed every airport worldwide is not something that is noticed at the point of landing, as pilots are regularly updated during the course of the flights and therefore in a position to decide on the most appropriate airport to divert to”.

Odaudu noted that the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport Abuja which has been in full operation would have been the most appropriate for the affected airlines to divert to, if the overall interest of the Nigerian passengers was considered.

He expressed Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika’s concerned over the stranding of passengers with the attendant situation they went through.

He assured them of government determination and commitment to the protection of Nigerian travellers at all times.

This year’s Harmattan haze has been described as the worse in recent years. It came with attendant flight cancelations, delays and diversions.

This has cost airlines so much in terms of lodging their passengers in hotels, feeding costs and aeronautics charges by countries in which foreign airlines diverted their flights.

On Friday, British Airways concluded plans to engage charter airline operators to bring back stranded passengers to Lagos from Accra, Ghana.

A top official of the airline who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that the passengers who were stranded would be bought back to Lagos in a chartered flight.

The official who described the weather phenomenon as worse in recent times said safety was more important than trying to land in an airport with poor visibility occasioned by Harmattan which has made both domestic and foreign carriers divert flights.

‘We have engaged airline in a charter arrangement to help bring back stranded passengers. It is at a huge cost to us but we need to take care of our passengers, feed them and accommodate them in hotels'”.

To cut cost, airlines are diverting flights to Abuja rather than Accra which has better visibility for landing compared to Lagos.

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 its flight two days ago.

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.

Wole Shadare