Air France has said that its stranded Nigerian passengers in N’Djamena, Chad, would arrive in the country in two batches.
The airline, in a statement yesterday, stated that the passengers, who were initially billed to arrive at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja on Friday, would now land in the country on Sunday and Monday.
The airline explained that its flight AF878 scheduled to connect N’Djamena to Abuja from Paris-Charles de Gaulle, on Friday, May 31, 2024, was cancelled due to a heavy storm in N’Djamena.
According to the airline, before takeoff, the aircraft an Airbus 330, had its body damaged, which led to the grounding of the equipment in N’Djamena.
The airline posited that some of the stranded passengers would board AF820 on Sunday (yesterday) at 7.45 p.m., landing in Abuja at 9.15 p.m., while the second batch of the passengers would board AF 4191 on Monday (today) at 8.15 a.m. and land in Abuja at 10.15 a.m.
It also stated that the affected passengers were lodged in hotels, pending their airlift to Abuja.
The statement read in part: “Air France reiterates that the safety of its customers and crews is its absolute imperative. Therefore, the company has taken care to accommodate all customers in hotels guaranteeing the best conditions of safety and comfort, in the vicinity of N’Djamena airport. Air France regrets the inconvenience caused by this situation.”
No fewer than 61 Nigerian passengers were affected by the disruption to the operation of the airline.
Keyamo had on Saturday queried the condition of the stranded passengers.
He also directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to take immediate action by engaging with Air France and intervening in the situation.
