Ethiopian Airline aborts landing over poor weather

An Ethiopian Airline flight carrying 393 passengers Wednesday made air return after attempting to land at Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, as a result of poor weather condition.

The pilot of the flight, which had the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo onboard, decided to abort landing and made air return as precautionary measure.

The airline described the incident as aborted landing due to bad weather.

Other prominent Nigerians in the Ethiopian Airline Boeing B777-300 aircraft include

Ayoola Olukanni, directorgeneral of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Samson Tunde Adebayo, director of Ports Inspection, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), as well as scores of Nigerians and other nationals.

Businessday learnt that the flight ET-901 departed the Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa, at about 9:10am, Ethiopian time and arrived the Lagos airspace over four hours later but due to inclement weather the pilot, who had zeroed in to land aborted landing and gained altitude. The flight landed safely later.

Eyewitness account said after hovering around in the Lagos airspace, Air Traffic Control later cleared the flight to land.

Businessday also learnt that some of the passengers were petrified despite the fact that what happened was due to bad weather, which is envisaged in flight operations.

A passenger was reported to have commended the pilot, saying he was experienced to have aborted landing when he did.

“Fortunately, the distance between when he realised the situation still permitted him to take off and renegotiate landing. These things happen. That is where the sophistication of the aircraft and experience of the crew come in. The aircraft is one of the best you can have around and we are fortunate to have pilots who know their onions,” he said.

Businessday also learnt that Obasanjo and Olukanni attended a Stakeholders Dialogue on Continental Trade and Strengthening Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA), which ended on Tuesday in Addis Ababa.

Both foreign and domestic airlines on Wednesday had their flights disrupted due to unfavourable weather marked by heavy downpour and heavy winds, which cast dark clouds in Lagos airspace.