A retired Nigerian Air Vice Marshal from Anambra State has died aboard a British Airways (BA) flight from London to Abuja.
The deceased whose name has not been made public was in his eighties, according to report which added that he had been sick and was returning to Nigeria when his death occurred in the early hours of Monday aboard.
The situation alongside that of another passenger, a pregnant woman who was also having issue, report said made the flight operators to divert the plane to Barcelona, Spain, for an emergency landing.
It was gathered that the aircraft departed London’s Heathrow Airport at 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 5, and was scheduled to land at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by 5:00 a.m. Monday but at about 1:30 a.m., the pilot declared a medical emergency and diverted to El Prat Airport in Barcelona.
British Airways, in a message to passengers, apologised for the disruption and assured them of support.
“Passengers are advised to expect an email with more information and can reach out to the airline’s Live Chat feature for support. British Airways acknowledges the inconvenience and thanks passengers for their patience and understanding,” the airline stated.
The airline also confirmed that a replacement aircraft would continue the journey to Abuja. Initially scheduled to depart Barcelona at 2:00 p.m. local time and arrive in Abuja at 7:00 p.m., the departure was later adjusted to 2:50 p.m., with arrival expected around 5:45 p.m. Nigerian time.
