A passenger has died aboard a Kenya Airways flight from Nairobi to Lagos after becoming unresponsive about 20 minutes before landing.
Kenya Airways says a passenger died aboard its flight from Nairobi, Kenya, to Lagos on Tuesday.
In a statement on Wednesday, the airline said the passenger became unresponsive at around 9:20pm local Nigerian time, about 20 minutes before the aircraft landed at Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
“Kenya Airways PLC (‘KQ’) confirms that on Tuesday, 06 October 2026, our flight from Nairobi to Lagos experienced a medical emergency on board at around 21:20 hrs local Nigerian time. One of our passengers was found to be unresponsive approximately 20 minutes before landing in Lagos,” the statement reads.
“Our crew administered first aid as per their training and followed all emergency procedures. Upon landing at Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 21:41 hrs, the aircraft was met by medical personnel, and upon further examination, the medical personnel confirmed that the passenger had passed away.”
Kenya Airways expressed condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and apologised for any inconvenience the incident may have caused.
“We uphold and respect the privacy and dignity for all involved,” the airline added. It said it is providing the necessary support in close coordination with the deceased’s family, local authorities, and aviation regulators. Kenya Airways has not disclosed the passenger’s identity or the cause of death.
Separate Account Points to a Deportation and an In-Flight Disturbance
A separate, unverified account of the circumstances leading up to the death has also emerged. According to a Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) official named Achimugu, cited in some reports, Kenya Airways was responsible for returning the passenger to Nigeria because it was the airline that had originally brought him into the country. Achimugu further alleged that the passenger became agitated during the flight and attempted to access the cockpit before later trying to open the aircraft’s rear door.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has said police have taken over investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death. None of these additional details have been confirmed by Kenya Airways, which has not commented publicly beyond its original statement describing the incident as a medical emergency.
Not Kenya Airways’ First Fatal Incident
This is not the first time a passenger has died following a medical emergency aboard a Kenya Airways flight, though the airline has not drawn any comparison between this case and past incidents. Separately, the airline’s deadliest accident remains the 2000 crash of Kenya Airways Flight 431 off the coast of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, shortly after departing on the Lagos-to-Nairobi leg of its journey an unrelated incident from nearly a quarter-century ago.
The investigation into Tuesday’s death is expected to establish the full circumstances surrounding the passenger’s condition and conduct during the flight, including whether the competing accounts of a routine medical emergency and an in-flight disturbance can be reconciled. Kenya Airways has not responded publicly to the deportation and disturbance allegations as of the time of this report.
