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BY ANTHONY OMOH
Sequel to the events of July 23, 2025 involving Lufthansa German Airline at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, aviation sources have faulted the airline’s explanation for offloading 45 passengers and all checked-in luggage.
Lufthansa claimed that ongoing repairs at the airport resulted in a shortened runway take-off length, requiring them to reduce weight of its A330-300 before flying to Frankfurt.
However, flight records from that same day show that several other airlines operated wide-body and narrow-body aircraft without removing passengers or luggage.
British Airways used a Boeing B777 at 08:16 hrs, carrying 245 passengers and 23 crew. Qatar Airways flew a Boeing B787 at 14:03 hrs with 251 passengers and 12 crew. Ethiopian Airlines operated a B777 LR at 14:11 hrs with 264 passengers and 14 crew.
Similarly, Turkish Airlines departed at 21:45 hrs using an Airbus A330 with 261 passengers and 10 crew. Air France followed at 21:52 hrs with another Airbus A330 carrying 215 passengers and 10 crew.
Other aircraft operations included EgyptAir’s B737-800 at 15:09 hrs with 125 passengers, Africa World Airlines’ Embraer E145 at 13:05 hrs with 40 passengers, and Asky Airlines’ B737 at 17:19 hrs with 64 passengers. Royal Air Maroc flew a B737 at 07:18 hrs with 162 passengers, and Air Côte d’Ivoire’s Airbus A319 departed at 10:47 hrs with 84 passengers.
Airport officials told NigerianFLIGHTDECK that Lufthansa’s decision appeared to be airline-specific and not due to any infrastructure failure at Abuja.
A senior official, speaking anonymously, said a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) was issued in advance to inform pilots about the runway repair constraints.
“Despite a shortened runway take-off length, other wide-body aircraft took off safely. Lufthansa’s decision seems tied to internal issues,” the source explained.
It was suggested that the airline might have overbooked, or a substitute flight crew unfamiliar with the updated NOTAM opted for weight reduction.
Lufthansa operated an Airbus A330-300 with approximately 200 passengers that day. Only 155 were flown, and all checked-in baggage was left behind.
Affected passengers were informed they would be rebooked or have their bags flown on July 27, four days after the incident.
Sources further revealed Lufthansa had previously cancelled its Abuja-Frankfurt service on July 4 and again failed to carry all booked passengers on July 25.
“On July 23, they finally left at 00:15 hrs, but not with everyone or their luggage,” the official noted.
Following completion of maintenance work by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), full runway operations resumed on July 25 without any limitations.
Yet, Lufthansa did not issue a public statement confirming that the shortened runway take-off length triggered their offloading. Only verbal communication was given at the terminal.
Aviation experts say transparency is essential when technical decisions affect passenger experience, especially where facts contradict explanations.
The available data strongly suggests Lufthansa’s disruption stemmed from internal operational decisions rather than airport constraints.
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