Saudi Airline Passengers Left Onboard for Hours at Abuja Airport After Weather-Forced Diversion from Kano

Hundreds of Nigerian passengers returning from Saudi Arabia were left stranded for several hours inside a Saudi Arabian Airlines aircraft at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Saturday after the flight was diverted from Kano due to unfavourable weather conditions.
The aircraft was originally scheduled to land at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) but was redirected to Abuja as a precaution following reports of poor weather in Kano.

The plane landed in Abuja at about 1:00 p.m.; however, passengers remained confined onboard for more than five hours, with no permission to disembark as of 6:00 p.m.
Several affected passengers, many of whom had just returned from the Lesser Hajj (Umrah), told PRNigeria via telephone that the prolonged stay inside the aircraft, without access to food, water, or clear information, amounted to inhumane treatment.
“For many of us, Abuja is actually our final destination,” a passenger said. “Even if we had landed in Kano, we would still have had to connect to Abuja. While we understand the diversion for safety reasons, keeping us inside the aircraft for over five hours without communication or basic refreshments is unacceptable.”
The situation reportedly worsened as some passengers, particularly the elderly and vulnerable, began to fall ill during the delay.
“Some of our relatives onboard are already unwell,” another passenger lamented. “After a long journey, this delay and lack of basic care are taking a serious toll. It is frustrating and degrading.”
The stranded pilgrims have called on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to urgently intervene, either by allowing passengers to disembark or by ensuring the immediate provision of basic welfare support.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts by PRNigeria to obtain an official response from the management of Saudi Arabian Airlines proved unsuccessful, as repeated calls to designated contact numbers were unanswered.
Meanwhile, anxiety remained high at the Abuja airport, where relatives and well-wishers waited for information regarding the safety, health, and eventual release of their loved ones.