A passenger onboard a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Lagos tragically died midair on Monday, leading to an emergency diversion and significant delay in the flight’s arrival.
According to Punch Newspaper, the flight, Delta DL54, encountered a critical health emergency approximately three hours before its scheduled landing, which was exacerbated by severe weather conditions.
Naija News reports that the deceased passenger, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, reportedly suffered a health crisis mid-flight, prompting immediate medical intervention.
Despite the efforts, the situation led to her untimely death, which was suspected to be a heart attack, according to fellow passengers.
Due to a heavy thunderstorm in the Lagos area, the crew was forced to divert the Airbus A330-200, which had 215 customers onboard, to Lome, Togo.
The diversion was necessary not only due to weather conditions but also because the aircraft needed to refuel.
The flight, originally scheduled to arrive in Lagos at 10 AM, eventually landed at approximately 6 PM, enduring an eight-and-a-half-hour delay.
In response to the unforeseen circumstances and extended delay, Delta Air Lines issued a statement apologizing for the inconvenience and distress caused to passengers.
“Delta flight 54 ATL-LOS has landed safely in LOS after an onboard customer medical situation and subsequent diversion to LFW due to weather. We sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travel plans,” the airline stated.
On social media, passengers expressed their concerns and recounted the stressful experience.
A passenger identified as @samson_Goddy on X detailed the ordeal, noting that aside from the death, the flight faced additional challenges, including running out of fuel and being grounded in Togo for over five hours.
“So we had two health emergencies: a lady died on the flight midair, we ran out of fuel and were forced to do an emergency landing in another country, and we were grounded for 5+ hours,” he tweeted.
Another social media user, @BayoAdesosu, called for greater transparency from Delta Air Lines, urging the airline to openly address the incident by releasing a statement and displaying its landing records to provide clarity and reassurance to the public and the affected families.
However, Delta Air Lines stated that it is reviewing the situation and will cooperate with aviation authorities as they investigate the incident.
Meanwhile, passengers affected by the delay were reported to have received compensation for the inconvenience.
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