Dozens of weary and frustrated passengers families with children, expatriates, and professionals spent a long, sleepless night at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after Air Peace abruptly cancelled multiple scheduled flights.
Despite holding valid tickets and confirmed bookings, many passengers were left with no explanation or alternative, forced to spend the night on cold metal chairs and airport floors as their travel plans unraveled.
In videos and photos seen by Online, scenes of visible distress played out. Some passengers stood in protest, demanding answers, while others especially parents with children sat in silence, too exhausted to speak.
One of the stranded travellers, Dr. Kunle Ashimi, Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association in Ogun State, said he had been scheduled to fly at 6:00 p.m. Friday. The flight was first delayed to 8:00 p.m., then pushed indefinitely, with no communication until it finally departed at 3:15 a.m., almost ten hours later.
“If it had been a passenger who arrived late, they would be penalised or even denied boarding,” Ashimi said. “But who holds the airline accountable for this kind of abuse?”
Passengers shared heartbreaking stories. A nursing mother, Adetoun, recounted how her child scheduled for a critical medical appointment in Lagos early Saturday was forced to sleep in the airport, exposed to mosquitoes and exhaustion. “It’s very painful for me,” she said.
Another stranded passenger, an expatriate, reportedly missed a once-a-week international connecting flight, causing additional financial and logistical losses.
While the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has recently issued a warning to Air Peace over its rising trend of delays and cancellations, the airline insists its actions are rooted in safety considerations, not neglect.
“Safety is our cardinal priority,” the airline said in a recent statement, claiming that delays stem from weather, technical issues, or strict operational thresholds. “We do not regret taking operational decisions rooted in the protection of human lives,” it added.
However, many travellers say the problem lies not just in delays, but in the lack of communication and care. With unanswered calls to the airline and no immediate apology or compensation, frustration continues to mount.
As morning broke, passengers finally landed in Lagos physically present, but mentally and emotionally drained. Their plea to the government and regulatory bodies was simple: protect travellers, hold airlines accountable, and make Nigerian air travel more humane.
