It was revealed Wednesday, that it was a wrong code sent by one of the Flight Dispatchers in United Nigeria Airlines that diverted the aircraft to Asaba airport instead of its original destination of Abuja.
Nigeria aviation industry came up for one more ridicule Sunday when a Lagos/Abuja -Flight NAU 0504 landed in Asaba Airport in Delta state. Passengers who were told by the pilot that they have landed safely in Abuja were shocked to find out that it was Asaba they were looking at.
UNA officials had claimed that it was because of bad weather the planed changed course for Asaba, but it was flight dispatcher, who entered the wrong code into the Dispatch document sent to aeronautical authorities.
Investigations revealed that the flight dispatcher entered into the dispatch document ABB, which is the code for Asaba International Airport, Delta, instead of ABV, which is the code for Abuja Airport.
Flight Plans are prepared by airlines and forwarded to the Aeronautical Information Services (AIS), Unit of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
The flight dispatcher has been sent on an indefinite suspension by the airline for the embarrassment his gaffe had caused the country’s aviation industry. This is just as the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), are probing the incident.
But, the umbrella body of flight dispatchers in the country: the Flight Dispatchers Association of Nigeria (FLIDAN), has challenged United Nigeria Airlines on its action, saying both United Nigeria Airlines and Air Traffic Controllers attached to NAMA disregarded “Operational Control”, by not following what was filed by the dispatcher. With Nation reports
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