Hundreds of passengers travelling to London yesterday were stranded at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos as British Airways (BA) cancelled its Lagos-London flight over storm in London.
Passengers in their numbers were at the airport to catch their flights only to be informed that the airline had cancelled its flight as a result of the storms, known as Storm Claire.
A spouse of an affected passenger who identified himself as Bayo Babatunde said his wife was at the Lagos airport to catch a flight only to be informed that the airline had cancelled its flight without sending any message to his wife and the other passengers.
“They said they had sent an email to us but we didn’t see any email from the airline. While weather issues cannot be controlled, it is only necessary for the airline to have informed us earlier,” Babatunde said.
He further disclosed that the airline is not certain when it will resume flight operations.
The Country Manager of BA, Mr. Kola Olayinka, who confirmed the development, said the Lagos-London flight which scheduled to take-off yesterday was cancelled as a result of the storm.
THISDAY gathered that the airline has informed the passengers that their flight to London might take place Wednesday or Thursday, but promised to provide accommodation for the passengers for only one night.
The passengers protested that they should not be accommodated for one night if the airline would resume airlifting on Wednesday.
According to the passengers, some of them came from outside Lagos, as far as Benin, Asaba and Enugu to travel with the airline from Lagos.
However, heavy rain and gusts of wind reaching more than 90mph have brought widespread flooding and travel disruption as Storm Ciara hits the UK.
Trees were toppled, buildings were damaged and some homes had to be evacuated as rivers burst their banks.
Thousands of people are without electricity and sporting events have been cancelled due to the weather.
Airlines have also cancelled hundreds of flights, while several rail firms have urged passengers not to travel.
Ferry passengers also face delays and cancellations, and drivers have been warned to take extra care.
Large parts of the UK are covered by an amber warning for very strong winds, with the Met Office advising that large waves in coastal areas and flying debris could cause injuries.
Source: THISDAY
