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The Federal Government has announced a delay in the fourth evacuation flight scheduled to repatriate stranded Nigerians from South Africa after a technical fault was discovered on the aircraft assigned for the operation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed on Wednesday that the evacuation flight was grounded in Johannesburg after cracks were detected on the cockpit windscreen during pre-flight checks, making it unsafe for take-off.
In a statement, the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said passenger safety remained the government’s top priority, adding that the airline had already begun arrangements to continue the evacuation.
“We have a situation in Johannesburg, South Africa, regarding the operation of the fourth evacuation flight.
The flight couldn’t take off because cracks were discovered on the windscreen in the cockpit. Air Peace will deploy another aircraft to South Africa later today to bring the returnees. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience,” Ebienfa said.
The ministry assured affected passengers that the delay was only temporary and confirmed that Air Peace would dispatch a replacement aircraft later on Wednesday to complete the evacuation exercise.
The latest development comes as the Federal Government continues efforts to evacuate Nigerians stranded in South Africa following heightened anti-migrant tensions and security concerns that have prompted the voluntary return of hundreds of citizens.
