The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has confirmed that a Delta Airlines flight from Lagos to Atlanta was forced to make an emergency diversion to Accra, Ghana, after smoke was detected from the aircraft’s oven.
According to NCAA spokesperson, Michael Achinugu, the fire was swiftly contained and posed no immediate threat to passengers or crew.
However, the diversion created operational challenges, as the flight crew exceeded their permitted duty hours and were unable to proceed with the journey.
It was gathered that the incident occurred on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, aboard Delta Flight DL055, which had taken off from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, en route to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Delta Airlines activated contingency measures to minimize the disruption. Some passengers were rebooked on the carrier’s Accra-New York service later the same day, while others were accommodated on an alternative flight the following night.
“Flight DL055 LOS–ATL finally departed from Accra on September 25, 2025, at approximately 12:00hrs,” Achinugu stated.
In a related development, the airline cancelled its Atlanta-Lagos inbound service scheduled for Thursday, September 25.
Though passengers were informed ahead of time, Delta also provided hotel accommodation and ground transport for those who still reported at the airport.
