The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has said that United States-based United Airlines did not violate any airspace regulations when it decided to make an air return to Nigeria.
Last week Friday, passengers onboard a United Airlines from Lagos to Washington Dulles were left injured as the B787 Dreamliner struggled mid-air, declared an emergency squawking transponder code 7700 and returned to Lagos a few hours after take-off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The United’s Flight UA613 Dreamliner airplane had 245 passengers onboard. The airline which confirmed the incident stated “Flight UA613 from Lagos to Washington D.C. returned to Lagos to address a technical issue. After landing safely, the aircraft was met by first responders to address reports of minor injuries to several passengers and crew.”
NAMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Abdullahi Musa, in a statement Wednesday night said it was necessary to correct some misleading information by some group of people he described as ‘aviation experts’. According to him, “for the avoidance of doubt, the reported incident involving an air return in the Nigerian airspace did not occur within Nigeria’s airspace.
Flight UAL 613, a scheduled service from Lagos to Washington fulfilled all departure protocols per international aviation standards. “Approximately two hours and 32 minutes after departure, the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude while over Côte d’Ivoire’s airspace.”
Musa stated that despite having the option to land in Bamako or Abidjan, the pilot, based on his prerogative and assessment of the situation, decided to return to Nigeria, being the origin of the flight and where he probably considered safer for him to make a landing rather than Bamako or Cote d’Ivoire where he experienced the loss of altitude.
Upon contact with the flight, he said Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) activated medical emergency services as requested by the pilot and also as required by laid down industry procedures, stressing that all hands were on deck to receive the aircraft on landing.
Lagos area control centre, he further stated picked the flight 180 nautical miles from Lagos while activating a medical emergency stand-by and guided the flight to a safe landing at Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
Upon arrival, emergency protocols were immediately activated by NAMA’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) and ground medical teams, ensuring the safety of all passengers and crew onboard.
Another aircraft belonging to the airline flew to Lagos from Accra to rescue the passengers having received treatment from the Nigerian medical personnel. Musa noted that contrary to insinuations, the aircraft from Ghana was strictly on a rescue mission and nothing more.
“We emphasise that the airline has not violated any airspace regulations and commend the pilot’s professionalism and judgment in prioritizing the safety of everyone onboard. NAMA remains committed to upholding the highest standards of airspace safety and ensuring that all operations adhere to international best practices.”
