Flights normalize after three-day weather disruption

Many flights were cancelled last week following the harmattan haze experienced in some northern states, it was learnt.

The flights disruption was witnessed in Kano, Jos, Maiduguri, among others on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, according to findings by Daily Trust yesterday.

Checks at the Murtala Muhammed Airport domestic terminals on Monday however showed that airlines have returned to normal scheduled after the three-day disruption.

“In the northern states, a thick dust haze condition is expected with day and night temperatures of 30 to 37 and 20 to 24 degrees Celcius respectively”, the NIMET forecast had said.

Airlines affected by the flights disruption were Azman, Air Peace, Arik Air and Med-View which operate on the northern routes.

Azman Air was worst hit as it cancelled flights to Kano, Maiduguri, Yola as a result of the harmattan haze which blurs aircraft visibility from take-off and landing.

Saminu Tanko, an Operation Manager with Azman Air said, “Flights to Kano, Maiduguri, Yola were affected on Thursday and Friday. On Thursday we didn’t go to Maiduguri, we went on Friday. On Friday, we didn’t go to Yola. All the flights from Lagos to Kano were cancelled on Friday and Saturday”.

Air Peace spokesman, Mr. Chris Iwarah said there were weather related issues but he didn’t have the details of the flights affected. However, the situation has returned to normal as airlines operated flights on schedules in and out of Lagos.

“As of today, even yesterday the situation is okay now but it was bad on Thursday, Friday and Saturday”, added the Azman Airline official.