Bad weather disrupts flights across Nigeria

The fog that accompanies the harmattan season has disrupted flight operations in the country, causing many airlines to delay or cancel flights.

The cancellations in many airports across the country reportedly began on Thursday, with the southern part of the country being the worst hit.

Henrietta Yakubu, general manager, corporate affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), confirmed the development.

Yakubu said that the weather was a natural phenomenon that was beyond human control.

She added that local fight was yet to be recorded as of 2pm.

An Enugu-bound Ethiopian flight was reportedly forced to return to Addis Ababa on Saturday at the point of landing because of the bad weather.

At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Monday, only flights from Lagos and northern states were reportedly being announced for arrival and departure.

Abdulahi Saroke, station manager of Azman Air at the Abuja airport, said the airline cancelled more than 10 north-bound flights on Thursday and Friday, due to intense harmattan haze in the region.

Saroke added over five flights from Lagos to Kano, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Yola and Kebbi were cancelled as well as two flights from Kano.

He said while the weather had improved in the north, it had worsened in the southern part.

According to him, as at Monday morning, the flights from Kano and Maiduguri were processed but flights to Enugu and Benin could not be processed because bad weather has shifted to that region.

“As I speak with you, no flight has taken off to Enugu and Benin and no flight has also come from those airports today, Saroke said.

“The situation has been like that since Saturday but the northern region has improved.”