Lagos-Atlanta-bound aircraft diverts to Ghana over fire onboard

A Delta Airlines flight en route from Lagos, Nigeria, to Atlanta, United States, was forced to make an emergency diversion to Accra, Ghana, on Tuesday, September 23, following a fire incident in the aircraft’s oven.

According to Michael Achimugu, spokesperson for the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the fire was swiftly contained, and no passengers were threatened

The incident affected Flight DL055, which had departed from Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. The delay caused the crew to exceed their expected duty time, rendering them unable to continue the journey as scheduled.

Following the unscheduled landing in Accra, Delta Airlines initiated rebooking arrangements for stranded passengers. Some were accommodated on a Delta Accra-New York service the same evening, while others were rebooked on subsequent flights, including Air France, British Airways, KLM, and Lufthansa.

Delta Airlines also cancelled its inbound flight ATL-LOS (Atlanta to Lagos) for Thursday, September 25.

Passengers were informed in advance, and the airline provided hotel accommodations and ground transport for those who reported to the airport.

The remaining passengers are scheduled to depart on Delta’s regularly scheduled flight on September 26, 2025, at 11:40 hrs.

Contrary to earlier reports, the Air France flight from Lagos has not been cancelled and is expected to operate at 01:30 a.m. on September 26, 2025.

Michael Achimugu assured that follow-up continues and urged passengers to reach out if further assistance is needed.