Air France passengers not stranded in Chad, says NCAA

• Published On: 01 June 2024 at 20:37

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has refuted accusations made by Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, claiming Nigerian passengers flying from Paris to Abuja in an Air France aircraft were stranded in Chad.

Speaking with our correspondent on Saturday, the NCAA's Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, denied Keyamo's claim that passengers were stranded.

Achimugu claimed that the aircraft had to land in Chad due to a mechanical failure caused by the weather.

He stated that the airline has accommodated all of the passengers in a hotel and assured them that they would be transported to Abuja on Monday. In a post on his verified X handle, Keyamo revealed that Nigerians traveling from Paris to Nigeria were stranded in Chad.

The minister went on to say that this was brought to his attention right away, and he immediately forwarded it to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority's Consumer Protection Department, who would then interface with the airline.

Keyamo, who announced this on Saturday, also pledged to keep Nigerians updated as the event unfolded.

The minister wrote in his post, "It has come to my attention that some Nigerians on an Air France trip from Paris to Abuja are currently stranded in Chad, where the flight previously dropped some passengers.