A United Airlines flight from Lagos to Washington, D.C., was forced to return to Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) early Tuesday after a passenger suffered a medical emergency.
Flight UA613, which departed Lagos at about 12:10 a.m., turned back roughly 20 minutes into the journey after 64-year-old Omokhdion Leslie suffered a seizure and failed to respond to on-board medical aid.
“The pilot in command promptly announced the aircraft would return due to a medical emergency. Safety is the airline’s top priority,” a passenger told THISDAY on condition of anonymity.
The plane landed in Lagos at 2:23 a.m., where medical personnel boarded immediately to attend to Leslie before transferring him to a nearby hospital. Other passengers were lodged in hotels pending rescheduling of their journey.
The airline later cancelled the flight due to crew timeout rules, which limit the duty hours of cockpit and cabin staff. A passenger said the captain had requested medical personnel on board to assist Leslie, but when his condition did not improve, the decision was made to return.
United Airlines has not announced when the passengers will be rebooked but reiterated that the safety and well-being of travelers remain its priority.
