The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) announced that a Delta Airlines flight from Lagos to Atlanta had to make an emergency detour to Accra, Ghana, after a fire broke out in the aircraft’s oven.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, aboard Flight DL055, which had departed from Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and was en route to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
According to NCAA spokesperson Michael Achinugu, the fire was swiftly extinguished and caused no harm to passengers or staff. However, the unexpected stop in Accra delayed the flight schedule because the crew surpassed their authorized duty time and were unable to complete the route as scheduled.
Delta Airlines promptly implemented contingency preparations to handle the interruption. Some customers were rebooked on the airline’s Accra-New York flight the same evening, while others were re-accommodated the next night.
“Flight DL055 LOS–ATL finally departed from Accra on September 25, 2025, at approximately 12:00 hrs,” Achinugu confirmed.
In a related event, Delta canceled its inbound Atlanta-Lagos flight scheduled for Thursday, September 25.
Although passengers were advised in advance, the airline provided hotel accommodations and ground transportation to those who still arrived at the airport.
To reduce disruption, 23 passengers were rebooked on Air France, while the rest were accommodated on British Airways, KLM, and Lufthansa flights.
The remaining passengers were planned to travel on Delta’s regular service on Friday, September 26, at 11:40 a.m.
Achinugu also denied reports that an Air France Lagos flight had been canceled. He underlined that the airline’s operation will operate as scheduled at 1:30 a.m.
“Contrary to earlier reports, the Air France flight from Lagos has not been cancelled but is expected to operate at 01:30 hrs,” he stated.
Achinugu, who was attending meetings in Montreal at the time of the disruption, explained that he had to leave regularly to make calls and offer updates.
He assured passengers that follow-up steps were being implemented and invited concerned travelers to seek additional assistance if necessary.
While the fire event raised worries, aviation experts emphasized that the diversion and subsequent treatment followed global safety norms.
Delta proved compliance with international aviation laws by quickly bringing the fire under control and prioritizing crew duty restrictions.
The NCAA restated its commitment to ensure that airlines operating in Nigeria maintain the highest standards of passenger safety and service reliability.
Though the incident created delays and inconveniences, the authority stressed that all passengers were subsequently accommodated and that the experience demonstrated the robustness of aviation safety measures in dealing with unforeseen events.
