February 19, (THEWILL) – Most flights scheduled to operate to Kano on Saturday morning were either delayed or cancelled outrightly due to poor weather conditions.
Mostly affected were flights to Northern states, especially Kaduna, Kano, Ilorin, among others.
Airlines like Air Peace, Max Air and Azman Air, which operate to northern airports, have had to either delay, divert, reschedule or cancel flights to some of their routes in the north.
Air Peace flight P47420 from Lagos to Kano was heavily affected, making the passengers to be stranded.
The pilot had approached the Kano aerodrome before he aborted the landing and diverted to Abuja
THEWILL gathered that the pilot took the decision because the weather in Kano was below the minimum at the time the aircraft wanted to land.
The Air Peace Airbus A320 with over 160 passengers scheduled to take off at 6:15 am finally took off from Lagos at about 6:25 am on Saturday.
A passenger on board the aircraft confirmed that it was a smooth flight from Lagos to Kano, if not that bad weather stopped the pilot from landing.
“We took off smoothly from Lagos and the flight was very okay. But at Kano, we were informed by the pilot that the weather was bad. He, therefore, decided to divert to Abuja for safety reasons. I must commend the pilot for his excellent skills and safety consciousness”, the passenger recounted.
Another passenger, Dairu told THEWILL that he had a meeting to attend in Kano by 10 am but could not make it.
“I had an important meeting to attend in Kano but the way it is, it can’t work. The meeting is supposed to be held by 9 am and you can see I was still in Abuja by 9 am. However, I must commend the pilot for following safety procedures.”
A female passenger, Mary Ochuko, who was also going to Kano said that she had no option but to disembark in Abuja since that is where she lives.
According to her, she was only going to Kano to report for her official duty.
“Anyway, there is no stress. I live in Abuja and here I am. I was only going to report for duty in Kano. I have to disembark and then inform my office”, she said.
Meanwhile, the Air Peace duty manager in Abuja had addressed all passengers on board, informing them that the delay was due to weather and that the crew had to get a signal from Kano to know the next line of action.
Appealing to passengers for calm and understanding, the duty manager advised that those who wished to disembark could do so while they still have the option of rerouting and using their ticket later.
Since the weather was not getting better, a passenger told THEWILL that it was decided that the aircraft return back to Lagos. The duty manager also advised those willing to return to Lagos with the flight to do so.
Similarly, Arik Air on Saturday, 18th February, 2023, also cancelled its direct flight from Sokoto to Lagos, just as the Airline also cancelled its Lagos-Benin flight the same day.
Still, on the weather-related issue, Azman Air had on Friday, 17th February delayed its Lagos – Kano flight from 10 am to 5 pm.
Recall that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had earlier alerted the public to the possibility of a deterioration in visibility as a result of observed dust haze in some northern states.
The agency, therefore, advised members of the public to take necessary precautions due to dust particles presently in suspension over the atmosphere. Individuals with respiratory ailments were advised to protect themselves, as the current weather condition “is not good for their health.”
The agency further said night-time cold temperatures should be expected so warm clothes are advised for little children.
Advising further, airline operators were called upon to avail themselves of weather reports from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.
Also, the apex aviation regulatory agency, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has been warning pilots against adverse weather situations that could affect flight operations.
NCAA also went further to solicit the understanding of passengers over delays and cancellations of flights due to adverse weather.
About the Author
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
