There was pandemonium at the Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo Saturday as a female passenger prevented an Ibom Air scheduled flight from departing to Abuja.
The woman was protesting the dropping of luggage from the flight. She remained adamant that her huge suitcase must accompany her even as airline officials assured her and other passengers that their luggage exceeding 20kg could not go on flight but will be airlifted in the next scheduled flight.
But the unidentified woman was infuriated, and she caused a scene that eventually led to the cancellation of the flight due to the fact that the Uyo airport operated only with day light. Enraged by her action the other 88 passengers pounced on her, but airport security officials prevented her from being torn apart.
Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu confirmed the development in a statement.
“The pilot even offered to carry her checked-in bag in the cabin, but the size was unsuitable. Uyo is a sunset airport, and the airspace was due to close, making timely departure critical. Despite this, the passenger refused to cooperate.
“Had Aviation Security not acted promptly; the unruly passenger might have been lynched. Their timely response saved her life,” Achimugu noted.
The stranded passengers were transported back to the city some to their residence, while others from outside Uyo were booked into hotels to await the rescheduling of the flight, which according to Mr. Achimugu might take some days to resolve.
