Air France passengers lament after 72-hour stay in Chad

As dozens of Paris-Abuja bound passengers remain stranded in Chad, Air France has attributed the flight disruption to a heavy thunderstorm which caused damage to the aircraft.

The French carrier provided clarification on the development Sunday even as some passengers were said to have chartered a private jet to evacuate some of them from N’Djamena to Abuja.

Daily Trust reports that the A330 aircraft had made a stop in Chad to drop off some passengers before the aircraft was hit by a heavy thunderstorm which prevented the onward journey to Abuja.

The development left many passengers stranded before the intervention of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

NCAA, through its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, had said the passengers were not stranded, adding that efforts were being made to airlift the passengers.

However, the airline, in response to the minister’s post on X, said some of the passengers would be airlifted on Sunday night while others would leave Chad on Monday morning.

The airline said, “Our flight AF878 scheduled to connect N’Djamena to Abuja, then Paris-Charles de Gaulle, on Friday, May 31, 2024, has been cancelled due to a heavy storm in N’Djamena. Before takeoff, the aircraft A330’s hull was damaged. The aircraft is grounded in N’Djamena.

“Air France reiterates that the safety of its customers and crews is its absolute imperative. Therefore, the company has taken care to accommodate all customers in hotels guaranteeing the best conditions of safety and comfort, in the vicinity of N’Djamena airport.

“A part of our customers will be able to board AF820 on Sunday, June 2 at 7.45 pm (landing in Abuja at 9.15 pm), and the other part will be able to board AF 4191 on Monday, June 3 at 8.15 am (landing in Abuja at 10.15 am).”