Delta Airlines diverted a Lagos–Atlanta flight to Accra after an oven fire. NCAA says passengers were safe and later re-accommodated on other flights
Delta Airlines was forced to divert its Lagos–Atlanta service to Accra, Ghana, on Tuesday after a fire broke out in the aircraft’s oven, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has confirmed.
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The incident occurred on Flight DL055, which departed Lagos on 23 September 2025 for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
According to NCAA spokesperson Michael Achinugu, the fire was swiftly contained and posed no danger to passengers or crew.
However, the diversion led to disruption, as the flight crew had exceeded their permitted duty hours and could not continue the journey. Delta Airlines immediately activated contingency plans to manage the setback.
Some passengers were rebooked on the airline’s Accra–New York service that evening, while others were accommodated in hotels and placed on later flights.
Achinugu confirmed that DL055 eventually departed from Accra on 25 September at about midday.
The disruption also led Delta to cancel its inbound Atlanta–Lagos service on Thursday. The airline provided ground transport and hotel accommodation for passengers who had arrived at the airport unaware of the change.
To minimise inconvenience, 23 travellers were rebooked on Air France, with others placed on British Airways, KLM, and Lufthansa flights.
Remaining passengers were scheduled to continue on Delta’s service the following day.
Achinugu clarified that an Air France flight from Lagos had not been cancelled, as some rumours had suggested, and was expected to operate as scheduled at 1:30 am.
While acknowledging the disruption, aviation experts noted that Delta’s handling of the incident reflected adherence to international safety protocols.
By prioritising containment of the fire and respecting crew duty limits, the airline ensured passenger safety in line with global regulations.
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The NCAA emphasised that all passengers were eventually accommodated and that the episode highlighted the resilience of aviation safety systems in managing unforeseen events.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
