REVEALED! United Nigeria Airlines lied about diverted plane, as Keyamo issues fresh directives

Minister of Aviation and AeroSpace Development, Festus Keyamo has revealed that United Nigeria Airlines lied when it blamed “weather” as the reason its Abuja-bound passengers found themselves in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

The minister after an emergency meeting with the Heads of Aviation agencies yesterday, in Abuja said “there was no weather problem”.

Following the outrage that trailed the “diversion” of the United Nigeria Airlines flight to the Asaba Airport on Sunday, November 26, 2023, Keyamo also issued fresh directives to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to prevent future occurrences.

Rising from the meeting, Keyamo ordered the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau NSIB to release investigative reports on Flight NUA0504 within 10 days.

He also directed that henceforth, all wet lease plane operating in Nigeria must have a Nigerian pilot and Nigerians as its cabin crew.

This followed reports that the wet lease had only foreigners who were not familiar with the Nigerian terrain and that the transcript from the tower of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) indicated that the pilot took off from Lagos and headed straight to Asaba and not Abuja.

“Because of the incident that happened yesterday, where a flight to Abuja ended up in Asaba, NSIB must have their reports within 10 days on what really transpired.”

He added: “There was no weather problem yesterday.
“NiMet’s DG is here.
“It was a question about a wet lease plane.
“Pilots and the cabin crew were foreigners.
“They were not familiar with the Nigerian terrain.
“So, it was purely an issue of in-house administrative issues” he added.

READ ALSO:NCAA probes United Nigeria over diversion of Abuja-bound flight to Asaba

According to him, the ministry is taking every step to ensure the safety of lives of Nigerians who decide to travel by air.

He also said: “For the incidents that happened recently in the country, some are classified as minor and some serious incidents.

“But we didn’t have any fatality.

“However, we have some preliminary steps and precautions that we are taking as a ministry and the regulators.

“Because of the incident that happened yesterday, where a flight to Abuja ended up in Asaba, they must have their reports within 10 days of what really transpired.”

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