A British Airways flight from London to Abuja was forced to make an emergency landing at Barcelona’s El Prat Airport on Monday after a retired Nigerian Air Vice Marshal from Anambra State died midair.
The aircraft, which departed Heathrow Airport at 11 p.m. on Sunday, October 5, was due to land in Abuja at 5 a.m. on Monday. However, around 1:30 a.m., the pilot declared a medical emergency following the officer’s sudden collapse.
The situation caused significant distress among passengers and crew, leading to an unscheduled stop in Spain.
Sources told Prime Business Africa that the deceased, believed to be in his early 80s, was en route to Nigeria for continued medical care after undergoing treatment in the United Kingdom.
He reportedly became unresponsive midflight, and despite attempts by onboard medics and flight attendants, he could not be revived.
The emergency announcement reportedly caused panic onboard, and during the confusion, another passenger — a pregnant woman — also experienced a medical complication. Her condition remained unclear at the time of reporting.
British Airways confirmed the diversion and apologised to passengers for the distress and delay.
ALSO READ: Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James dies in plane crash
In a message shared with those onboard, the airline assured them that its Customer Care team was working to assist and that a replacement aircraft would continue the journey later in the day.
“We’d like to advise that the replacement aircraft for your flight to Abuja is now on its way. The estimated time of departure from Barcelona is 14:50 local time, with arrival into Abuja expected at approximately 17:45 local time,” the airline said in a statement.
Midair medical emergencies, though uncommon, have prompted several airlines to review their emergency response systems.
In 2022, Emirates diverted a Dubai–Lagos flight after a passenger suffered cardiac arrest midair, while in 2023, Qatar Airways made an emergency stop in Malta due to a medical emergency involving a Nigerian businessman.
British Airways itself has faced similar situations — including a 2021 incident when a passenger died onboard a London–Accra flight. Aviation safety experts continue to call for more onboard defibrillators, oxygen units, and mandatory medical response training for flight crews.
For now, the late Air Vice Marshal’s body has been handed over to local authorities in Barcelona pending arrangements for repatriation to Nigeria.
Prime Business Africa
