Passengers on an Air Tanzania flight scheduled from Dar es Salaam to Lagos were deboarded on Friday after a technical fault was discovered on the aircraft.
Speaking to TheCable on Saturday, Michael Achimugu, director of public affairs and consumer protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), said the passengers had already boarded the flight when the fault was identified.
“They discovered a fault with the plane, and they tried to fix it, but it wasn’t possible. So for the safety of the passengers, they were deboarded,” Achimugu said.
The NCAA official had earlier reacted to the incident in a post on X, asking Air Tanzania to provide hotel accommodation and meals to the stranded passengers.
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He also asked the airline to provide timely updates on the status of their flight, citing the provisions of Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
“One of the passengers has an unmissable visa interview Monday morning. If you are unable to operate over the weekend, please make provision for ticket refunds as some of your pax may opt to purchase tickets on other airlines if you fail to reprotect them on other airlines,” the post reads.
“While the NCAA is available to support you in any way possible, it would be appreciated if you complied with the regulations.
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“We have explained the ramifications of a technical fault to your passengers, and they understand that safety comes first. Kindly treat them with the courtesies they are entitled to.”
Achimugu said the same assistance should be extended to passengers stranded in Lagos for their outbound flight, noting that the authority is engaging travellers at both ends.
Giving an update on the situation on Saturday morning, Achimugu said the passengers were eventually given hotel accommodation and a meal.
He said the airline has assured passengers they will be flown today, despite not normally operating flights to Nigeria over the weekend.
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“We will keep monitoring the situation until the passengers arrive safely,” Achimugu said.
On August 13, the federal government presented the foreign carrier operation permit (FCOP) to Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL).
