11th July, 2011
Friends and relations of passengers on board a British Airways airplane were in a panic on Sunday following the diversion of the London-Abuja flight to Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Some friends and relations of the passengers who had gone to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to receive them were thrown into confusion when it was announced that the flight had been diverted to Lagos.
Following the development, many of them began to make series of telephone calls requesting their family members in Lagos to go to the airport to ascertain if the flight would land or not.
Some of the relations who preferred anonymity told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that they were concerned about the safety of their loved ones and wondered what could have caused the diversion.
But surprisingly as the family members were still contemplating on what to do, there was an announcement of the arrival of the flight.
When contacted, the Country Commercial Manager of British Airways Nigeria, Mr. Kola Olayinka, said the BA 82 flight was diverted to Lagos due to poor visibility and lighting in Abuja.
“The bad weather in Abuja led to poor visibility due to heavy rains. The runway lights did not help matters.
“The aircraft was on ground at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, but later departed for Abuja after a few hours delay,†Olayinka said.