Air France leaves Lagos bound passengers stranded at Paris airport for over 24 hours

FRENCH carrier Air France has been accused by hundreds of Nigerian passengers of leaving them stranded at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris for over 24 hours following a flight cancellation which resulted in them sleeping in the lounge.

According to passengers who suffered this plight, they were left in the airport after a Paris to Lagos flight was cancelled. Air France is also alleged to have ignored the passengers’ situation and also invited the police to apprehend them when they complained.

One of the affected passengers Seun Oloketuyi, said: “Lagos bound passengers waiting at Charles de Gaulle Airport Paris, some since 7am on August 25, others from about 9am for their flight, were left by Air France to sleep in the airport lounge. No sympathy or empathy for the women and children.

"They should have at least put them in a hotel. They were left here till 4pm of August 26 when they say their flight is likely to depart, which is so unfair and unacceptable.”

Another passenger Mercy Makinde, added:  “Do Nigerians really deserve to get treated like this by foreign airlines? It’s not out of place for airlines to have operational issues and if that happens you lodge your passengers in a comfortable accommodation with adequate compensation but leaving them at the airport lounge and when they complain you call the police for them is totally out of place

“This is why we should have our own national carrier, then we would have an option not to fly with these people. When they know there is competition they will sit up but where they enjoy a route monopoly, they know you will always come back, so they are at liberty to treat you as they please."