Flight scare as Air Maroc aircraft attempts unscheduled route change

Passengers onboard a Royal Air Maroc flight (AT 554) from Lagos to Casablanca, Morocco, endured a panic-filled ordeal on Easter Monday after the aircraft attempted an unscheduled diversion to Marrakech, another major city in the country.

The flight departed Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at 7:05 a.m., with a scheduled arrival in Casablanca at 11:30 a.m. The journey proceeded normally until the cabin crew announced that the aircraft would make an unscheduled stop in Marrakech to pick up additional passengers, a development that surprised travellers who had expected a direct flight.

Shortly after the announcement, the aircraft began to shake violently as it attempted to adjust course to Marrakech. Passengers were gripped by fear, clutching seats, praying, and screaming the name of Jesus.

The aircraft appeared nearly half empty, which made passengers perceive that it was all about profit for the airline.

Cabin crew later apologised for the huge inconvenience but offered no detailed explanation for the development.

“They want to make more money at the expense of our lives,” one passenger, who requested not to be named in print, due to the nature of the incident, told our correspondent. “My only prayer was for us to land safely. I was watching everything from the window; it was beyond chaotic.”

The Nigerian traveller, who flies nine times a year between Africa’s most populous nation and the United States, said he had never experienced anything like it. The man added that the turbulence felt as though the plane could barely handle the air pressure en route to Marrakech, but the crew eventually managed to revert to the original route to Casablanca. Punch