KLM Abandons Passengers at Lagos International Airport 'Nigeria'

For two days now, European mega carrier, KLM has abandoned over 250 passengers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The passengers were destined for Amsterdam and others beyond.
The airline could not keep to its schedule when its aircraft developed technical problem on Thursday at MMIA, so the airline terminated the flight operation but could not provide another aircraft to airlift the passengers.

By Friday night, the passengers were apprehensive that they might not depart the shores of the country any moment soon, as they claimed that the management of the airline in Nigeria was not communicating with them despite being checked into a hotel located at Amuwo-Odofin Area of Lagos.

 There was high agitation from the passengers who claimed that the airline had refused to communicate with them on how they would be airlifted to their various destinations.

One of the affected passengers who simply identified himself as Chris said that passengers were already boarded before the airline’s crew announced to them that they would not be departing Lagos as arranged due to the technical fault.

Chris said that the passengers were disembarked at 11pm and taken to the hotel at Amuwo-Odofin.

He however said that their inability to travel as scheduled because of the technical fault was in tune with international best practices, but decried that since Thursday night, none of the airline’s management had told them when they would depart the country to their various destinations.

He lamented that apart from checking them into the hotel, none of the passengers were given refreshments as recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), stressing that such maltreatment would not have happened in Europe and other countries.

Chris also that he was on his way to New York for a conference, which would commence today (Saturday) and ends on Monday, stressing that it was obvious he won’t be able to make the trip and requested for a refund.

He said: “It is sad that these people are treating us this way in our own country. We were supposed to have travelled since Thursday and up till now, there is no information about our departure. There ought to be a helpdesk for passengers through which we can communicate with the airline’s staff in Nigeria, but they are not doing that.

“NCAA that is even supposed to protect us is not doing anything about our plight. We are just like displaced people here. People are angry and hungry here because there is no food for us as I am talking to you now.

“They can’t do this Europe or elsewhere, they would pay heavy compensation. It is unfortunate that they come here and get away with so many atrocities without any protection for the flying public. Some of us are going beyond Amsterdam to either U.S or other destinations in Europe.”

NCAA source  said he would report the incident but spokesman of KLM could not be reached to comment on the issue.