A British Airways flight from the UK to Nigeria had to make an emergency landing after a retired military commander died in flight — causing panic and a pregnant woman to suffer a medical episode.
The victim, Osita Obierika, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), had reportedly been returning home after receiving treatment for cancer in the UK, Nigerian media reported.
The flight had reportedly departed at London’s Heathrow Airport at 11 p.m. on Sunday and was slated to touchdown at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by 5 a.m. on Monday.
Tragedy struck after the Octogenarian ex-commander fell seriously ill and died two and a half hours into the trip.
The pilot subsequently called a medical emergency and decided to divert to El Prat Airport in Barcelona, Spain.
However, this news reportedly caused passengers to panic, reportedly causing a pregnant woman to suffer a medical issue, the Daily Mail reported. No further info was provided about said passenger and her condition remains unclear.
British Airways apologized for the disruption in a statement.
“Passengers are advised to expect an email with more information and can reach out to the airline’s Live Chat feature for support,” airline reps said, per the Daily Trust. “British Airways acknowledges the inconvenience and thanks passengers for their patience and understanding.”
The airline also arranged for a replacement aircraft to ferry the passengers to their final destination in Abuja.
The original flight had been slated to depart Barcelona at 2:00 p.m. local time and arrive in Abuja at 7 p.m., but takeoff was postponed until 2:50 p.m. with touchdown projected for 5:45 p.m. Nigerian time.
The Post has reached out to British Airways for comment.
This isn’t the first time someone has died in midair of late.
Over the summer, a Turkish Airlines passenger died aboard a plane flying from Turkey to California after suffering “a severe medical emergency.”
The crew subsequently planned to divert the plane to Keflavik Airport in Iceland, but ultimately decided against it and ended up landing at Chicago O’Hare Airport.
Per aviation blog Aviation A2Z, the urgency to make an emergency landing decreases after a passenger dies, allowing the crew to find an airport that is better equipped to handle the situation.
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