The Tunisian pilot who flew the Nigerian team to Libya has shed light on the circumstances that led to the unexpected diversion of their flight to a remote airport, Al-Abraq, instead of their intended destination, Benghazi.
The diversion has been a subject of controversy since Sunday
when the Nigerian delegation en route to Benghazi for the crucial Tuesday’s
2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya were left stranded for over
16 hours after their flight was diverted mid-flight to Al Abraq, a small
airport typically reserved for hajj operations.
In a video interview sighted by our correspondent and posted
on X by Sports Journalist Pooja Media on Tuesday, the pilot emphasised that the
decision was not made at his discretion but came from Libyan authorities.
“The flight plan was to land at Benghazi, Benina, and we had
the approval from the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority to do so,” the pilot
said.
“However, when we began our descent, they instructed us to
divert to Al-Abraq, which is almost 150 miles away, around 300 kilometres east.
It wasn’t even (listed as) our alternate airport, something which is not good,”
he added.
The pilot described the diversion as potentially risky,
citing the fuel calculations made for the initial destination.
“In aviation, we have our flight plan, we calculate the fuel
to our destination, so we have to avoid this kind of thing because it may make
a breach to safety,” he stated, adding that he repeatedly questioned the
directive.
“When I asked to land in Benghazi according to my flight
plan and according to my authorisation, they said no, it’s from the highest
authority, you have to land in Al-Abraq.”
Refuting claims from the media that the diversion was his
decision, he said, “Everything is registered in aviation, we cannot hide
anything, so I asked them several times, at least eight times, and I warned
them, probably I will be in trouble for fuel; they said it’s from highest
authority, you cannot land in Benghazi, you have to divert immediately to
Al-Abraq,” he added.
The pilot noted that all relevant communications and
authorisations are documented and could be provided as evidence if needed.
He said, “The truth was we were going to Benghazi, and I can
show you the evidence of the approval, I have it. But at the last minute, they
changed their mind and changed the airport.”
Describing the conditions at Al-Abraq, the pilot highlighted
the challenges of landing at what he referred to as a poorly equipped domestic
airport.
“There is no ILS (Instrument Landing System), no air
navigation approach, no VHR (VHF Omnidirectional Range). We had to make a
visual landing, which is particularly difficult by night with marginal
weather,” he said, adding that the airport’s lack of facilities left them with
“no second chances” if the landing had gone wrong.
The pilot’s familiarity with the region, having worked there
for two years with a Tunisian company, was crucial in managing the difficult
landing.
“It was not an easy matter at all. When a pilot hears this,
he will understand that it was not an easy thing to land under such conditions.
Thank God we made it safely,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation has decided to
pull the Super Eagles out of qualifier match against Libya.
“Players have resolved not to play the match any longer, and
NFF officials are making plans to fly the team back home,” the statement said.
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