Tunisian pilot who flew Super Eagles to Libya has spoken on the controversy surrounding the flight diversion.
Gatekeepers News reports that the pilot gave the reason for diverting the flight in a video circulating on social media.
He said the initial plan was to land in Benina, a town in Benghazi area of Libya, with prior approval from Libyan Civil Aviation Authority.
The pilot however said that when the plane began to descend, he was instructed to divert it to Al-Abraq, which was not part of the alternate airports listed.
The flight officer noted that he was told the order for the flight diversion came from “Libya’s highest authorities.”
The pilot added that he questioned the flight diversion order repeatedly because of limitation of aviation fuel but was ignored by Libyan aviation authorities
He said, “The flight plan was to land in Benghazi, Benina, and we had approval from the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority.”
“However, as we began our descent, we were instructed to divert to Al-Abraq, which wasn’t even listed as our alternate airport.”
“This decision came from the highest authorities, not me. In aviation, we calculate fuel based on our destination. Diverting unexpectedly can compromise safety.”
“Everything is documented. I asked to land in Benghazi as per my flight plan, but they denied it, instructing me to divert immediately.”
“I repeatedly questioned the directive and warned them about fuel limitations, but they insisted that we land in Al-Abraq, citing orders from the highest authority.”
