Lufthansa faces backlash over Abuja flight disruption, passengers cry foul

Lufthansa Airlines is currently facing criticism after its decision to offload 45 Nigerian passengers and the checked-in luggage of over 200 others on its July 23, 2025 Abuja-Frankfurt flight.

The controversial move was allegedly made to reduce the aircraft’s weight due to ongoing runway maintenance at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The airline claimed the offloading was necessary to ensure safe takeoff from the shortened runway, citing rainfall and tailwinds as additional safety concerns.

In a letter to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Lufthansa maintained that it acted based on prior knowledge of the runway maintenance through a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).

However, officials at Abuja airport, speaking on condition of anonymity, have dismissed the airline’s justification.

They pointed out that other international carriers with similar wide-body aircraft successfully operated flights under the same conditions without offloading passengers or baggage.

Data from July 23 shows that multiple airlines, including British Airways, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, and Air France, operated flights with similar or even higher passenger loads using aircraft such as the Boeing B777, Airbus A330, and Boeing B787, all without offloading passengers or cargo.

Airport officials have raised the possibility that Lufthansa overbooked the flight or made a last-minute cockpit crew change involving pilots unfamiliar with the current runway limitations.

They also suggested the airline’s decision could have been more technical than operational.

FAAN confirmed that maintenance on the affected part of the runway ended on July 25, with all flight operations returning to normal.

The authority also emphasized that all airlines were properly informed in advance about the temporary runway restrictions via a NOTAM.

Despite Lufthansa’s clarification, the incident continues to attract public outrage, especially from passengers who were forced to disembark or whose luggage was removed without prior notice.

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Many believe the action was discriminatory and avoidable, given that other airlines operated under similar conditions without taking such drastic steps.