A Nigerian passenger, identified as a retired Air Vice Marshal, died onboard a British Airways flight from London Heathrow Airport to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, in the early hours of yesterday.
Sources revealed that the deceased, who had been ill before the trip, passed away less than two hours after takeoff from London.
The situation prompted the pilot to make an emergency landing at El Prat Airport in Barcelona, Spain, around 1:10 a.m.
The six-hour flight had departed Heathrow at 11:30 p.m. on Sunday.
It was gathered that the octogenarian was being flown back to Nigeria by his family for further medical treatment before he passed away mid-flight.
Efforts to reach Mrs. Tutu Otuyalo, Regional Commercial Manager for Nigeria and Ghana at British Airways, were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages to her phone went unanswered at the time of filing this report.
However, a report monitored by The Guardian alleged that Otuyalo later confirmed the incident, stating that the deceased had a terminal illness.
She was also said to have apologised to other passengers affected by the emergency diversion, while the airline arranged for a replacement aircraft to continue the journey from Barcelona to Abuja.
The airline stated: “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. We’d like to advise that the replacement aircraft for your flight to Abuja is now on its way.
“The estimated time of departure from Barcelona is 14:50 local time, with arrival into Abuja expected at approximately 17:45 local time. We understand the inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience. We look forward to welcoming you on board soon. British Airways.”