Flight Diversion: Aviation Minister Demands Thorough Investigation

Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Technology, Festus Keyamo, has demanded a thorough investigation within 72 hours following the incident of flight diversion by United Nigeria Air.

The plane, which departed Lagos State International airport in Southwest Nigeria scheduled to land in Abuja, the capital city, was later rerouted to Asaba International Airport Delta State in Southern Nigeria

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Mr. Festus Keyamo said bad weather was not the cause of the diversion, as earlier reported.

Keyamo said no such report was received from the Nigeria Meteorological Agency. Rather, it was a question of the Wet Lease plane, where the pilots and the crew were all foreigners not Nigerians, who were unfamiliar with the Nigerian terrain.

The minister explained that the tower kept on asking the pilots to confirm repeatedly that they are headed for Abuja not Asaba but “the pilot replied, No, I am going to Asaba that’s the transcript we got by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.”

While addressing journalists, the Minister gave a ten days ultimatum to the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau to investigate the incident and explain what happened.

“We have listened to the transcripts from the tower to the pilots. The transcript produced by Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, (NAMA). It was clear that when the pilot was taking off from Lagos, he was headed to Asaba, not Abuja, where the flight ought to have headed.”

Keyamo directed that henceforth all wet leases, involving foreign pilots and crew operating in Nigeria they must have a Nigeria pilot seated on the jump seat with a foreign pilot even if it’s for few hours or few days.

“I have also directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, that within the next 72 hours they should summon all pilots and Crew who are operating wet leases in Nigeria for further briefings because the lives of Nigerians were at stake they are flying Nigerians, and our primary duty is to protect Nigerians”.

Mr, Keyamo described the incident as a failure of regulations and that the aviation ministry must take precautionary steps to ensure the safety of the lives of Nigeria.

“The Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau NSIB will investigate all the incidents that happened and provide Nigerians with factual reports over the incident.

“We are going to take concrete measures to avert the recurrence of such incident, and those that already happened, we will investigate the causes and ensure that whoever fails his duties is sanctioned.” The minister added.

Similarly, the Minister noted that very soon, all airline operators will begin paying compensation to passengers for flight delays and cancellations; if the reasons for delay and cancellations especially if its the airline found wanting.

Olusola Akintonde