Federal Government has intervened in the disruption involving Saudi Airlines passengers stranded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, ordering compensation and immediate remedial action following a weather-related flight diversion on Sunday.
The intervention was coordinated by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, after a Kano-bound Saudi Airlines flight was diverted to Abuja due to adverse weather conditions, leaving hundreds of passengers without clear arrangements for their onward journey.
Confirming the escalation and the government’s response, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, said: “I stood amidst over 200 angry passengers, pacifying, reprimanding, and resolving. This is the most adrenaline-rushing part of my job. It requires tact, firmness, wisdom, and team work. But it is risky. Some passengers are extremely violent. A huge, hulk-like, and highly vexed passenger threatened to beat me up yesterday”.
Aviation officials said the situation, which began as a force majeure incident, worsened due to poor passenger handling by the airline, prompting concerns over safety and public order within the airport terminal.
Achimugu disclosed that more than 200 passengers were affected at the peak of the crisis, with about 401 passengers initially left stranded in violation of aviation consumer protection regulations.
He said the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo directed that passenger welfare be prioritised, while the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, approved emergency measures to ensure the dignity and safety of travellers.
As part of the resolution process, the NCAA engaged the Saudi Ambassador to Nigeria and held negotiations with local aviation operators, resulting in an agreement with UMZA Aviation to airlift stranded passengers to Kano through three successive flights. A total of 189 passengers were eventually transported.
The NCAA further disclosed that Saudi Airlines has committed to compensating affected passengers in line with Nigerian aviation regulations, bringing an end to nearly 48 hours of disruption at the airport.
While acknowledging that the initial diversion was unavoidable, Achimugu said the airline failed to adequately manage passenger welfare, adding that no airline operating in Nigeria would be allowed to disregard consumer protection rules.
The aviation regulator also urged passengers to exercise restraint during unavoidable disruptions and warned against acts of violence within airport facilities, reaffirming the government’s commitment to enforcing aviation standards and protecting passenger rights across Nigeria.
By Emmanuel Obisue
