By Chinelo Obogo
United Nigeria Airline has said that it temporarily diverted its flight NUA 0504 en route Abuja to Asaba on Sunday , November 26,due to poor destination weather.
This explanation came shortly after a former aide to the national chairman of All Progressive Congress (APC), Dawisu Tanko, posted on X, that a United Nigeria flight which he boarded headed for Abuja, informed passengers that they had arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, only to discover that they had landed in Asaba International Airport.
He said: “We departed Lagos about an hour ago on @flyunitedng to Abuja and upon arrival, the cabin crew confidently announced that we have arrived at Abuja, only for us to realize that we landed in Asaba. Apparently, our pilot was given the wrong flight plan from Lagos.”
But the Head, Corporate Communications for the airline, Achilleus-Chud Uchegbu, said in a statement
that the pilot of the aircraft was aware of the temporary diversion and was properly briefed but that a wrong announcement was made by cabin crew upon landing safely in Asaba, creating confusion among the passengers.
“A United Nigeria Airlines flight, NUA 0504, operating from the MM2 in Lagos en route Abuja on Sunday, November 26, 2023, was temporarily diverted to the Asaba International Airport due to poor destination weather.
“At all material time, the pilot of the aircraft was aware of the temporary diversion and was properly briefed. However, a wrong announcement was made by cabin crew upon landing safely in Asaba, creating confusion among the passengers.
Meanwhile, the aircraft has landed safely in Abuja following improvement on destination weather.
United Nigeria Airlines remains committed to ensuring the safety of its passengers at all times.”