A Delta Airlines flight from Lagos to Atlanta was diverted to Accra, Ghana, on Wednesday after a fire broke out in one of its onboard ovens, aviation authorities confirmed.
The incident affected flight DL055, which had departed from Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport bound for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Midway through the flight, the crew noticed smoke coming from an oven in the plane’s galley.
According to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the fire was quickly contained and no passengers or crew members were injured. However, the emergency diversion led to further complications as the crew exceeded their maximum duty schedule, making it impossible to continue the flight to Atlanta that same day.
Passengers disembarked in Accra, where Delta activated its contingency plans. Some travelers were rebooked on an overnight flight to New York, while others were accommodated overnight and assigned to alternate flights the following day.
Delta later confirmed that the Lagos-Atlanta flight ultimately departed Accra on September 25 at 12:00 p.m. The return flight from Atlanta to Lagos, scheduled for the same day, was canceled, and the affected passengers were rebooked on partner airlines, including Air France, British Airways, KLM, and Lufthansa.
An NCAA spokesperson reiterated that the incident was handled in accordance with international safety standards, emphasizing that passenger safety was never compromised.
“The airline followed due process by diverting the flight and ensuring crew duty limits were met. All passengers have since been accommodated,” the agency stated.
The incident, while disturbing, underscores the importance of strict safety procedures in aviation operations.
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