PassionAir has apologised to passengers after its flight OP 149 from Kumasi to Accra ran into severe turbulence on Tuesday, 3 November, a trip that Kumawood actor Lil Win says left people on board shouting in fear. The airline addressed the incident in a press statement dated Wednesday, 4 November, which it shared in a post on X.
In the statement, the airline said the flight “encountered severe turbulence en route due to sudden adverse weather conditions.” It described such weather-related occurrences as “beyond our control” and “generally considered unavoidable natural events”, but added: “We sincerely apologize for any distress or inconvenience experienced during the flight.”
PassionAir also said its flight operations are carried out “in strict compliance with all applicable aviation safety standards, regulations, and requirements established by the relevant aviation authorities,” and that the safety of its passengers and crew remains its highest priority. The statement does not name any of the passengers on board.
The incident drew wide attention after Lil Win, real name Kwadwo Nkansah, spoke about it. According to Pulse Ghana, the actor said on Lawson TV that heavy rain started shortly before take-off and that the aircraft then made sharp upward and downward movements, frightening passengers, among them Ashanti Regional Minister Dr Frank Amoakohene. “We were all shouting, but I kept calming them down and telling them everything would be okay,” Pulse Ghana quoted him as saying. He said things settled once the plane climbed to a higher altitude.
Pulse Ghana also reported that former Bantama MP Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, who was on the same flight, is said to have written to aviation authorities asking for a full investigation, and that he praised the pilot for landing the aircraft safely in Accra.
Lil Win told Lawson TV that he was travelling to Accra for a meeting about plans to premiere his film A Journey to Africa at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium. The airline has not given further details of the flight, and no official finding on the incident has been published.
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