Lufthansa Airlines’ claim that it had to offload 45 passengers and all checked-in luggage due to runway limitations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, has been dismissed as inaccurate by airport officials.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, July 23, involved Lufthansa’s Airbus A330-300, scheduled to depart Abuja with about 200 passengers.
According to passengers, the airline attributed the mass offloading to ongoing maintenance work on the runway, which allegedly reduced its available takeoff distance.
However, Abuja airport officials have described the explanation as misleading.
Speaking anonymously, insiders at the airport stated that multiple international airlines operated wide-body aircraft from the same runway on the same day without any need to offload passengers or luggage.
Flight records reveal that, British Airways, Qatar Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Air France all operated long-haul jets from the airport during the maintenance period without incident.
An official, “The maintenance did not affect the integrity or safety of operations. A NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) was issued to inform all operators, and there was no restriction preventing standard takeoff operations”.
They suggested that Lufthansa’s decision may have stemmed from operational or technical considerations unrelated to runway length, such as possible overbooking, excess baggage, or a change in flight crew unfamiliar with the temporary runway adjustments.
Further investigation revealed that other wide-body aircraft, including British Airways’ Boeing 777 with 245 passengers, Qatar Airways’ Boeing 787 with 251 passengers, and Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 777LR carrying 264 passengers, all departed without having to reduce onboard weight.
Airport sources also noted that Lufthansa has had operational inconsistencies in recent weeks.
The airline reportedly canceled its Abuja-Frankfurt flight on July 4 and, again on July 25, failed to depart with all booked passengers, finally departing at 00:15 hours.
Interestingly, Lufthansa did not release any official statement attributing the July 23 offloading to the runway maintenance, even though the explanation was allegedly provided to affected passengers. Those offloaded were reportedly rescheduled and airlifted on July 27.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has since confirmed that the runway maintenance was completed on July 25, with full runway operations restored thereafter.
Reporting by Nosa Aituamen