A number of international flights scheduled for the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, have been diverted to the Kotoka International Airport, Accra, Ghana, following poor visibility caused by the Harmattan.
The harmattan situation got worse in the West African region on Wednesday morning, with the Ghana Meteorological Service, announcing that the weather condition will persist till Sunday.
APA gathered that as of Thursday afternoon, the condition in Accra was foggy and misty with humid conditions.
Meanwhile, Mr. Edward Baah, Director of Air Traffic Services at the Kotoka International Airport, confirmed to Citi News that a number of flights for Nigeria have been diverted to Kotoka pending clarity in the weather condition, which is said to be poor in Benin towards Lagos.
He said that more than five flights, including two belonging to Emirates, one from Rwandair, British Airways and Qatar Airlines, have all had to stop over in Accra owing to bad weather.
The diversion has led to unusual long passenger queues at Kotoka International Airports leading to health inspection and immigration services.
“The size of aircraft that are diverting are wide-bodied that can carry about 400 passengers, so obviously they will create a lot of pressure at the immigration and the arrival hall,” Mr. Baah said.
DAP/GIK/APA