KEY POINTS
- Passengers demand refunds from Emirates and Qatar Airways weeks after disruption.
- Some passengers were en route to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj when flights halted.
- NANTA president says airlines have been largely cooperative on refund requests.
Weeks after the US-Israel-Iran conflict forced airlines to suspend flights across Middle East routes, Nigerian passengers are still waiting for their money back, and some are running out of patience.
The Emirates Qatar Airways refund pressure has been building since hostilities escalated and both carriers adjusted or halted operations through the affected airspace. Travel agents told The PUNCH they had submitted multiple refund applications on behalf of clients, but resolutions had not come. Many passengers said they had visited airline offices repeatedly with nothing to show for it.
Hajj Travellers Among Those Affected
One affected traveller, Muhammed, said he had moved quickly the moment flights were cancelled. “I know it will be difficult to get that refund, and that was why I requested my refund through my agent from the first day, but up until now, as I speak, our efforts have not paid off,” he said.
Another passenger, Foluke Adedayo, said she was considering legal action if the delay continued much longer. She acknowledged the conflict was not the airline’s fault but argued that was beside the point. “We weren’t responsible for the aborted trip. Should they continue to hold back my money even after submitting a refund request, I may be left with no other option than to head to court,” she said.
Among the stranded passengers were Nigerians who had been travelling to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj when the conflict escalated. Regional airspace volatility disrupted the business and medical appointments of others who had planned travel abroad. Emirates recently resumed limited Dubai-Lagos-Dubai services, but the restart has not accelerated refund processing for passengers whose original tickets airlines cancelled.
NANTA Urges Patience
The President of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies, Yinka Folami, confirmed that Emirates Qatar Airways refund requests had increased sharply but pushed back on the suggestion that airlines were being obstructive.
“Yes, there has been a call for refunds and from my experience the airlines have been quite cooperative and fair,” Folami said. He suggested that processing delays in some cases came down to agent inexperience rather than airline bad faith, noting that he had personally processed several refunds without significant complications.
He also reminded passengers that a refund was not their only option, as rebooking or holding credit remained available depending on individual circumstances.
