Libya’s highest authority ordered Super Eagles flight diversion – Pilot

The Tunisian pilot responsible for transporting Nigeria’s Super Eagles to Libya has revealed new details surrounding the controversial diversion of their flight to Al-Abraq airport, a remote airstrip, rather than the team’s original destination, Benghazi.

The flight diversion, which occurred on Sunday, left the Nigerian football team stranded for over 16 hours at Al-Abraq.

The incident has sparked outrage, coming just two days before their crucial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Libya. Al-Abraq Airport, where the plane was redirected, is typically reserved for Hajj operations and lacks the facilities to handle commercial flights of this magnitude.

In a video interview shared on X by a journalist, Pooja Media, on Tuesday, the pilot clarified that the decision to divert the flight was imposed by Libyan authorities, not made at his discretion.

“The flight plan was to land at Benghazi, Benina airport, and we had the required approval from the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority,” the pilot stated.

“However, as we approached Benghazi and began our descent, we were instructed to divert to Al-Abraq, which is nearly 150 miles—around 300 kilometres—east of our destination. This was not even listed as our alternate airport, and that creates a major safety concern.”

The pilot stressed that in aviation, flight plans are meticulously designed, including fuel calculations for specific destinations. Abrupt changes to the plan, he said, pose serious risks.

“In aviation, we carefully calculate fuel for the intended destination and reserve fuel for emergencies. Such diversions compromise safety, especially when they are made without advance notice,” he explained.

“When I insisted on landing in Benghazi according to my authorisation, the response was clear: ‘It’s an order from the highest authority. You have to land at Al-Abraq.’”

The pilot dismissed media speculation suggesting that the diversion was his choice. He stressed that all communications during the flight were recorded and documented for transparency.

“Everything in aviation is logged; there are no secrets. I questioned the directive at least eight times and warned them that we could face fuel issues. But the response remained the same—‘It’s from the highest authority.’ There was no room for negotiation.”

The pilot also pointed out the challenges posed by Al-Abraq’s limited infrastructure.

“The airport lacks basic facilities like an Instrument Landing System (ILS), air navigation approaches, or VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) equipment. We had to make a visual landing under marginal weather conditions, at night. It was a high-risk operation with no room for error,” he said.

Having worked in the region for two years with a Tunisian aviation company, the pilot’s familiarity with local conditions proved crucial in executing a safe landing.

“When a pilot hears the conditions I just described, he will understand the difficulty. Thank God we landed safely,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced its decision to withdraw the Super Eagles from the scheduled qualifier match against Libya, citing safety concerns and the ordeal faced by the players and officials.

“Players have resolved not to proceed with the match, and the NFF is now arranging for the team to return to Nigeria,” the federation said in an official statement.

The incident has further complicated Nigeria’s AFCON campaign, raising tensions between the football authorities of both nations.