Frustrated passengers of Dana Airlines reportedly vandalized the airline’s check-in counter facility on Monday due to repeated flight delays and cancellations after waiting for hours at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Wing 2 in Lagos.
According to eyewitnesses, the disruption occurred around 6 p.m. after the airline announced the cancellation of two flights scheduled for Port Harcourt and Owerri from Lagos at 12 p.m. on the same day.
Passengers, who had been waiting for extended hours, grew increasingly frustrated, as some had been stranded for over 24 hours due to previous flight delays and sudden cancellations without prior notice.
“Some of the passengers have been waiting since yesterday after their flight was cancelled. They were promised that their flight would take off today but after over three hours of delay again, the flight was cancelled,” revealed an airport official.
Reports indicate that the irate passengers resorted to violence, disconnecting and vandalizing the computers used for flight check-ins by the airline. Airport attendants were reportedly beaten during the chaos.
“The computers were disconnected and vandalised, while some of the attendants were severely beaten by the passengers,” stated an airport attendant.
The passengers were allegedly promised a rescheduled flight for February 12, with assurances from the airline.
However, the situation worsened as the flight cancellations persisted, leading to the violent reaction from the affected passengers.
In response to the incident, Dana Airline issued an apology through an official statement, citing non-scheduled maintenance as the cause of the delays.
The statement read, “We sincerely wish to apologise for the expected delay on your flight today 12/02/24 due to non-scheduled maintenance. We understand the negative impact this disruption might have on your planned activities for the day, and we are deeply sorry.”
The airline emphasized its commitment to the safety of passengers and staff, promising to fly them safely and comfortably to their destinations.
After intervention by aviation security agencies at the airport, the aggrieved passengers were eventually allowed to board at around 9:00 p.m.
