Irate Qatar Airways Passengers Cause Commotion at Lagos Airport

Some aggrieved passengers of Qatar Airways Tuesday caused a commotion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, over the delay of their flight for two days.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the passengers had besieged the airline’s check-in counter, demanding to be put on any available flight to enable them meet their engagements outside the country.
They had on Sunday boarded the flight at 10.00 a.m. en route Doha to connect to their respective destinations, only to be disembarked due to operational reasons.

One of the passengers, Segun Agbetuyi, in a text message, said they were taken to a hotel later on Sunday.
“They woke us all up at 4.30 this morning to take us to the airport for boarding, only to get to the airport and find that no serious arrangements had been made,” he said.
The spokesperson for the Lagos Airport Police Command, DSP Joseph Alabi, who confirmed the incident, said the issue had been resolved.

He said: “They have since left and the issue has been resolved. I learnt that there was a delay and the passengers were not happy.
“However, when I arrived, I saw things moving smoothly at the check-in and I was informed that arrangements have been made to convey them to their destinations.”

On his part, a media consultant to the airline, who gave his name as Mr. Mike, said the passengers were agitated because they had been in the hotel for two days and their flight had been delayed.
“They needed to get to their destinations and so when they came in here, it was a crowd but we have sorted out the issue and put some of them on the flight.

“The few of them that are remaining, we are taking them to other airlines,” he said.
Qatar Airways is under obligation to compensate the passengers for the delay, in accordance with the provisions of Part 19 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCAR).