A 64-year-old Nigerian woman has been left stranded at Cairo International Airport after Egypt Air allegedly confiscated her passport upon arrival, leaving her unable to continue her journey to the United Kingdom.
Uzoma Chinyere Ndubuisi, who was on her way to Manchester, UK, was caught in an ordeal that lasted over three hours when the airline took her passport for immigration clearance. During this time, Ndubuisi was left at the airport without assistance or support.
Speaking to SaharaReporters, Mrs. Ndubuisi expressed her frustration at the situation, which she described as inhumane. She said her passport was not returned in time, and she was made to wait for several hours with no food, water, or sleep. Despite promises from Egypt Air staff, no accommodation was provided for her during this period.
As the situation worsened, the airline’s failure to offer the promised assistance led to a missed connecting flight. Ndubuisi’s flight to Manchester, which was scheduled for 8:55 a.m., had already departed by the time she arrived at the airport. This was after Egypt Air only provided transportation to the airport at 8 a.m., just moments before the flight’s departure.
Mrs. Ndubuisi’s son, Obinna Okali, has since raised concerns over his mother’s treatment, calling on Egypt Air to take responsibility for the situation. In a public petition, Okali described his mother’s ordeal and questioned why the airline failed to meet its obligations.
“I am writing to express my utmost disappointment and concern regarding the treatment of my mother,” Okali said. “She was left without any assistance or support while stranded at the airport. Her passport was taken for over three hours, and we were given no food, water, or accommodation during this time.”
He further stated that the airline’s failure to provide adequate support directly contributed to his mother missing her flight. “The actions of Egypt Air staff have shown no empathy or consideration for her welfare. My mother’s physical and emotional distress has been exacerbated by the lack of communication and the unhelpful behaviour of the staff.”
Okali’s statement continued: “The staff were unfriendly and refused to communicate with us, even when we requested that our mother hand over her phone. This lack of cooperation has only added to the stress of the situation.”
The son also expressed concern about his mother’s current state. He mentioned that Ndubuisi was still at Terminal 3 of the airport, suffering from severe mental distress due to the ordeal. “Our mother is currently at Terminal 3 without food or water. If anything untoward happens to her, we will hold Egypt Air responsible,” Okali warned.
Okali has demanded that Egypt Air take immediate action to resolve the matter. He has requested that his mother be rebooked on the next available flight to Manchester and that compensation be offered for the trauma she has endured.
“We expect a prompt response from you regarding this urgent matter,” Okali stated. “This situation has caused significant emotional distress for our mother, and we need to know what steps Egypt Air is taking to address this.”
