Passengers on an Enugu-bound flight operated by XEJet were stranded for more than six hours on Saturday at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, following a series of delays that sparked confusion and frustration.
The Lagos–Abuja service, originally scheduled for 9:30 a.m., was first delayed to 1:00 p.m., leaving passengers who had already arrived at the airport waiting for hours. Boarding eventually began at 1:30 p.m., but travellers reported being held outside the aircraft for about 30 minutes without explanation.
A passenger said the airline provided little information throughout the ordeal. “We got to the aircraft, and they just kept us standing there. Nobody told us what was happening,” the passenger explained.
Further delays were attributed to instructions from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) requiring the crew to hold while certain documents were processed. Passengers were later informed that a waste-disposal hose had become stuck, preventing the aircraft from taking off. After nearly two hours of waiting, several passengers disembarked and demanded a replacement aircraft.
By around 3:00 p.m., an airline representative, N.P. Ogeke, addressed the travellers, confirming that the issue had been resolved. The flight eventually departed at approximately 4:00 p.m.
It was also reported that XEJet had cancelled its Wednesday, November 19, 9:00 a.m. flight, leaving many passengers stranded earlier in the week.