Passengers scheduled to travel from Frankfurt to Lagos on a Lufthansa flight were left stranded on Saturday after the airline aborted takeoff due to a reported hydraulic fault.
According to airline officials, the technical issue was detected shortly after the aircraft began taxiing.
The plane was immediately returned to the terminal and all passengers were disembarked.
As of press time, there was no official update from Lufthansa on when the flight would be rescheduled or how affected passengers would be accommodated.
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Kayode Akintemi, managing director and editor-in-chief of News Central TV, who was among the passengers on the flight, described the experience as frustrating.
Writing on X, he said: “Nigerians @lufthansa counter in Frankfurt are tired of being treated poorly and badly by international airlines. It is only by the grace of God that the aircraft that has started taxiing did not take off before hydraulic problem was identified. I have spent six frustrating hours here in Frankfurt.”
A footage also showed visibly upset passengers at the boarding gate demanding clarity from airline staff.
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In one exchange, a passenger asked when the issue would be resolved, to which a Lufthansa representative responded: “I don’t know. I’m not a technician.”
When asked if the delay could extend to the next day, the staff member replied, “Perhaps,” again stating she was unsure.
Hydraulic systems are critical for the safe operation of commercial aircraft, powering functions such as landing gear, steering, and braking.
Any malfunction in these systems typically requires immediate inspection and clearance before the aircraft can proceed with takeoff or continue flight operations.
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