PUNCH
The Tunisian pilot who flew the Nigerian team to Libya has shed light on the circumstances that led to the unexpected diversion of their flight to a remote airport, Al-Abraq, instead of their intended destination, Benghazi.
The diversion has been a subject of controversy since Sunday when the Nigerian delegation en route to Benghazi for the crucial Tuesday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya were left stranded for over 16 hours after their flight was diverted mid-flight to Al Abraq, a small airport typically reserved for hajj operations.
In a video interview sighted by our correspondent and posted on X by Sports Journalist Pooja Media on Tuesday, the pilot emphasised that the decision was not made at his discretion but came from Libyan authorities.
“The flight plan was to land at Benghazi, Benina, and we had the approval from the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority to do so,” the pilot said.
“However, when we began our descent, they instructed us to divert to Al-Abraq, which is almost 150 miles away, around 300 kilometres east. It wasn’t even (listed as) our alternate airport, something which is not good,” he added.
The pilot described the diversion as potentially risky, citing the fuel calculations made for the initial destination.
“In aviation, we have our flight plan, we calculate the fuel to our destination, so we have to avoid this kind of thing because it may make a breach to safety,” he stated, adding that he repeatedly questioned the directive.
