Delta Air Lines Lagos–Atlanta flight DL55 diverts to Accra after just over an hour in the air

Delta Air Lines flight DL55 from Lagos to Atlanta was forced to divert to Accra, Ghana, on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, after spending just over an hour airborne.

The Airbus A330-223, registered N857NW, departed Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at 11:02 UTC, slightly behind schedule. Instead of continuing its scheduled transatlantic crossing, the aircraft turned north-west into Ghanaian airspace, circled near Kumasi, and then landed safely at Kotoka International Airport in Accra at around 12:12 UTC.

Flight tracking data showed the widebody jet remained airborne for approximately 70 minutes before the diversion.

The aircraft, more than 20 years old, is normally deployed on Delta’s daily DL54/55 service linking Lagos and Atlanta, one of the few nonstop connections between West Africa and the United States.

While Delta has not yet released an official statement on the cause of the diversion, all passengers and crew disembarked safely in Accra, with no injuries reported.