Sixty-one Nigerian travelers, who were passengers on an Air France flight from Paris to Abuja, found themselves stranded in Chad due to a weather-related technical problem that forced the airline to divert their route.
Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, addressed the issue on X (formerly Twitter), where he shared a video recorded by some of the stranded passengers seeking assistance from his office.
In response, he instructed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to immediately engage with Air France and take necessary steps to resolve the situation. He also called upon the airline to provide timely updates on the status of the stranded Nigerian citizens.
“It has come to my attention that some Nigerians on an Air France flight from Paris to Abuja are presently stranded in Chad, from where the flight earlier dropped some passengers. I have immediately directed the Consumer Protection Department of the NCAA to swing into action and engage Air France. We shall inform everyone of the outcome soon. Meanwhile, I urge @AirFranceNG to immediately issue a statement on the fate of those Nigerians,”Keyamo’s post read.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) announced via its official X account that the Air France aircraft experienced a technical issue due to weather conditions.
The NCAA confirmed that accommodation and meals have been provided for the 61 stranded passengers, and a replacement plane from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris is scheduled to arrive in Chad on Sunday to transport the passengers to Abuja.
“The aircraft developed a tech due to weather. Accommodation and feeding were provided for 61 passengers. A ferry plane from Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) arrives in Chad tomorrow to airlift passengers to Abuja. The Estimated Time of Departure is being discussed and passengers will be updated,” the post read.