Hundreds of Nigerian pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia were on Saturday subjected to hours of hardship after a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight diverted from Kano due to bad weather was left parked on the tarmac at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The aircraft, which was scheduled to land at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, was diverted as a safety measure following reports of adverse weather in Kano.
It, however, touched down in Abuja at about 1pm and remained on the tarmac with passengers still confined on board for more than five hours.
Passengers, many of whom had just concluded the Lesser Hajj (Umrah), said they were denied food, water and clear information throughout the prolonged delay, describing the experience as distressing and inhumane.
Speaking from inside the aircraft, some of the passengers said the situation was made worse by poor communication from airline officials and airport authorities.
“Even if we had landed in Kano, some of us would still have travelled on to Abuja,” a passenger said.
“We understand that weather issues can force diversions, but there is no justification for keeping people locked inside an aircraft for five hours without explanation, food or water.”
Concerns heightened as elderly passengers and others reportedly began to fall ill due to exhaustion and stress.
“Some of our family members are sick right now,” another passenger said. “After a long journey, this unnecessary delay and lack of basic care is frustrating and dehumanising.”
The affected pilgrims appealed to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to intervene urgently by allowing passengers to disembark or ensuring the immediate provision of basic welfare support.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from Saudi Arabian Airlines. Efforts to reach the airline’s management for comment were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, anxiety gripped the Abuja airport terminal as relatives and well-wishers waited for hours, seeking information on when their loved ones would be released from the aircraft.
The incident has once again raised concerns over passenger welfare and emergency handling by airlines operating international flights into Nigeria.
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