Flying in Nigeria: Aero Flight NG128

Hey Guys

Happy Monday!!

I feel like the days are going by soo quickly, July will soon end, Nawa. So I wrote about this experience exactly 2 weeks ago when it happened (July 7th, 2014). I wonder why I didn't share it on the blog earlier though. Anyways, better late than never, right? It was a pretty deep situation but let me not spoil the gist, enjoy reading!!

So I just landed in Lagos after a gruelling and extremely tiring situation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. My head hurts, I'm tired and weak plus I'm trying to wrap my head around what I just experienced. I've been pushed, I've been shoved. I stink, so many sweaty people rubbing their bodies on me, I need to shower.  

My Aero flight NG128 was scheduled to leave for Lagos at 2pm so boarding should have started at 1:45pm. At about 1:50pm, I went up to the desk but there was no Aero representative to talk to. I went back at 2 and was told that flight 128 was on its way from Sokoto. Once it arrived, boarding would proceed. 

At about 2:20pm, they finally announced that flight 128 was boarding. At this point I discovered that Aero flight NG126 which should have departed for Lagos at 12 midday had been delayed and so some people had been at the airport since 10am waiting.  

The fact that the airport was closed over the weekend also meant that there was a backlog of flights. The waiting hall was packed.

The people scheduled to fly at 12 obviously would not agree for those of us on flight 128 to board. And then the wahala started. Some people suggested that the flight 126 people should be moved to flight 128, however this was impossible as flight 128 had only 40 people while flight 126 had about 90.

A crowd had gathered and we were all pushed against the glass door that led to the runway.Some people said they had international flights to catch, there was a lot of ruckus and noise and commotion. At a point in time, I bellowed CALM DOWN. I really don't know where the strength came from to shout but I was just sick of the noise. People looked at me, quite shocked, some laughed and they kept quiet for a bit, but only a tiny bit. 

The doors opened to let people that were travelling on Medway airlines, Dana Air to Port Hartcourt and Aswan air out. Discovery airline also left at some point. When I got tired of the pushing and no progress was being made, I decided to sit on the counter and observe fully what was going on. At this point I took the following pictures. 

The man in the fluorescent vest was trying to make way for the Non- Aero travellers to get unto the runway

The airport was soo full

That's the glass door we were pushing against, someone even threatened to break it at a point

The Aero duty manager came to address the crowd and said the first 40 people out of the door would be allowed to travel to Lagos, regardless of what ticket they had. I was thinking 'make I no force myself unto the plane and then wahala go shele'.

However once I saw that aero people (a mix of 126 and 128) were actually getting unto the plane I jumped down and hussled my way to the front. One of the air control workers said only space for 5 more people on the flight. That's when I knew I had to think fast and scale through. I acted like I was about to faint and they let me through, mschew. 

I surprised myself sha, one person said  'Mo lati se were fun won' (I had to show them m y mad side). My hands were actually shaking when I got unto the plane as I did things totally unlike my character. I was even going to pretend that I was asthmatic and needed an inhaler. 

There was a bit of Turbulence on the flight and people started praying 'Make my gragra no be the cause of my death o!' We landed safely, Thank God, at about 4:44 instead of the scheduled 3:15. I'm glad to have made it down in one piece but I would rather not go on a domestic flight unless I have to. I feel lucky and blessed to have made it through.

This was my 2nd domestic flight in Nigeria, is this the norm? Does 1 in every 2 domestic flights have skoin skoin or some issue? Has anyone else experienced this? Please share in the comment below.

I would have made a video but I had to get down and hustle my way through. You snooze you lose, aint nobody got time for that, for being stuck in Abuja, Diarris God o!