Air France: 61 Nigerians not stranded in Chad – NCAA

Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has dismissed reports that 61 Nigerian-bound passengers are stranded in Chad following a technical issue suffered by Air France.

Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, who spoke weekend, said they have been given accommodation and feeding by the airline.

According to him, the passengers would be airlifted on or before Monday morning.

Achimugu, in a chat, stated: “Stranded isn’t quite the situation. They have been provided accommodation and feeding by the airline. They have not been abandoned. The aircraft developed a technical issue due to bad weather in N’djamena. Arrangements are being made for another aircraft to fly in from Charles de Gaulle Airport to convey the passengers to Abuja, latest Monday morning.”

Achimugu spoke after the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, directed the consumer protection department of the NCAA to swing into action and engage the airline.

Keyamo, on X, formerly Twitter, had stated: “It has come to my attention that 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 Air France to immediately issue a statement on the fate of the stranded Nigerians.”