There was palpable tension on Wednesday evening at the Brigadier Zakari Maimalari Airport in Gombe following the abrupt cancellation of a scheduled Rano Air flight, leaving scores of passengers — including corps members, business owners, and other travellers — stranded without clear guidance or immediate refunds.

Eyewitnesses disclosed that what began as a routine delay from an original 1:10 p.m. departure time to 6:30 p.m. later culminated in a complete cancellation, allegedly without prior notice to passengers. The development triggered frustration among travellers who complained that they were neither properly informed nor assisted after the disruption.

One of the stranded passengers, Amina Muazu, accused airport officials of attempting to disperse aggrieved travellers by switching off the airport lights. “They turned off the light to chase angry passengers away from protesting,” she said, describing the atmosphere as tense and chaotic.

Another passenger, Oreoluwa Daniel, lamented the refusal of airline officials to refund charges collected as luggage fees. “They failed to refund us our money for our luggage,” he said. “We were just left confused.”

For Boluwatife Segun, the disruption came with significant financial losses.

“I paid N70,000 to United Nigeria Airlines to travel to Lagos from Abuja after they cancelled the 1:10 p.m. flight. I don’t know what to do now with my connecting flights,” he said, visibly distressed.

Similarly, Abimbola Samuel decried the absence of welfare arrangements for stranded travellers. “They didn’t make arrangements for where we are supposed to sleep or what we are supposed to eat. Now we are left stranded,” she said.

Airport sources linked the cancellation to issues with the approach lights, which hinder night landings at the facility. Earlier in the day, airport authorities had reportedly warned the airline to ensure arrival before nightfall, citing limited night operation capabilities.

Sole Administrator of the Brigadier Zakari Maimalari Airport, Suleiman Musa, explained that the airport does not routinely conduct night operations except on rare occasions when an extension is approved.

According to him, the airport management had already informed the airline earlier in the day that night operations were not feasible and that any flight intending to land in Gombe should arrive before 6:00 p.m.

He noted that although the runway lights and other airfield lights are fully serviceable, the approach lights have issues, making it unsafe to conduct landings in darkness. “We made it clear to them that if their aircraft arrives before nightfall, we can guarantee a safe landing and subsequent takeoff,” he said.

Musa further explained that they had recently reminded the airline about this same challenge, especially because of its frequent flight postponements. He said they advised the airline to ensure its aircraft arrived in Gombe early enough to avoid complications.

“However, I was surprised to later learn that the airline had applied for a night-operation extension and scheduled the aircraft to arrive by 7:30 p.m., well beyond the safe operating window previously communicated to them.”

He added that while the airline attempted to manage the situation on its end, the airport authority would address the issues internally to prevent future occurrences. “We will fix all these problems,” he assured.

Customer Care Agent of Rano Air, Kabir Tukur, explained that the incident leading to the flight cancellation was not the airline’s fault. “The flight had departed Abuja for Gombe, but upon arrival, the pilots contacted the airport controller for landing clearance and were informed that the approach lights were not functioning,” he said.

He emphasised that approach lights are critical for landing, especially at night, as the captain relies on them for visibility and safety.

“The airport authorities said they were unable to switch on the lights and told the pilot he could land at his own discretion. Given that he was carrying over 40 passengers, the captain wisely chose not to take the risk and returned the aircraft to Abuja, where all passengers were safely disembarked.”

When asked about next steps, Kabir explained that the airline’s operations department is working to determine the best possible schedule for the following day and would communicate updated arrangements once finalised.

He apologised for the inconvenience, stressing that the situation was unforeseen and not caused by the airline. He also acknowledged that the customer service team at the Gombe station lacked the necessary experience to manage the situation and communicate accurate cancellation details.

Kabir concluded by assuring that the head office is working to resolve the issue and create a schedule that accommodates all affected passengers.