A British Airways flight from London to Abuja has been forced to make an emergency landing in Barcelona, Spain, after a passenger identified as a retired Air Vice Marshal of the Nig erian Air Force (NAF), suddenly slipped into an emergency health crisis and died mid-flight afterwards.
The retired senior officer said to be an indigene of Anambra State was reportedly terminally ill and being flown back to Nigeria for further medical treatment before his sudden demise.
Passengers were both panic – stricken and in confusion as the plane conveying the man made an emergency landing at the El Prat Airport, Barcelona while medics battled to revive the ailing former military officer.
According to Leadership report, the flight departed London’s Heathrow Airport at 11pm on Sunday, October 5, and was scheduled to land in Abuja at 5am on Monday but made an unexpected detour to Barcelona after the unexpected occurrence.
The British Airways Regional Commercial Manager for Nigeria & Ghana, Mrs Tutu Otuyalo, confirmed the deceased was ill.
It was, however, gathered that the retired AVM was being transported back to Abuja for further medication before his sudden end.
However, the British Airways had already apologised to traumatised passengers, even as efforts were ongoing to ensure that a new aircraft departs the Barcelona airport this Monday. They were expected to land in Abuja later today.
A sample of the messages shared with the passengers showed that the airline apologised for the disruption and assured passengers that the Customer Care team would be available to assist with any questions or concerns.
“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 told the affected passengers in a general message.
