Kenya Airways has confirmed that a passenger died on its flight from Nairobi, Kenya, to Lagos after becoming unresponsive about 20 minutes before the aircraft landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
The airline confirmed the incident in a statement posted on its official X account on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, saying the medical emergency occurred at about 9:20pm Nigerian time on Tuesday, October 6.
Kenya Airways said the passenger became unresponsive approximately 20 minutes before the scheduled landing in Lagos.
“Our crew administered first aid as per their training and followed all emergency procedures,” the airline said.
The aircraft subsequently landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, where medical personnel were waiting to attend to the passenger.
According to the airline, the medical personnel examined the passenger and confirmed that he had died.
“We convey our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and apologise for any inconvenience this incident may have caused. We uphold and respect the privacy and dignity of all involved,” Kenya Airways stated.
The airline added that it was providing the necessary support in coordination with the deceased’s family, local authorities and aviation regulators.
The death occurred amid claims by passengers that the deceased had allegedly behaved erratically during the flight and attempted to open the aircraft’s cabin door while the plane was airborne.
According to a BBC News Pidgin report, A Nigerian content creator identified as Lola, who said she was aboard the flight, recounted the incident in a post on Instagram on Wednesday.
She said she initially thought a fight was taking place after the man was seen moving around the cabin while other passengers asked him to calm down.
According to Lola, the passenger allegedly demanded to see the pilot and threatened to open the aircraft door if he was not allowed to do so.
“One passenger tried to open the door on my flight back to Lagos yesterday. He claimed he had a mental issue and I just think everyone who flies should be assessed in advance,” she said.
She added that passengers eventually intervened and restrained the man with the assistance of cabin crew.
“Everybody just charged towards him at this point. The men took the blanket, cabin crew brought the seatbelt and they held him down,” Lola said.
She claimed the passenger later became visibly frightened and repeatedly told those restraining him that he would not attempt to open the door again.
“At this point, you could see the fear in his eyes as he kept saying, ‘I’m not opening the door again, I’m not opening the door again,’” she recounted.
Lola said the man subsequently became unconscious as the aircraft approached Lagos.
According to her, cabin crew members discovered that he was unresponsive while preparing the cabin for landing and attempted to revive him.
“Eventually, when we were about to land, the cabin crew tried to prepare the cabin for landing and they realised that he was unconscious. That was when they tried to revive him. They did CPR, they brought the defibrillator, but he was not responsive,” she said.
Another Nigerian passenger, identified as Adekunbi Ewaola on Instagram, also claimed that passengers had restrained the man to prevent him from opening the aircraft door.
Another passenger reportedly alleged that the man had behaved aggressively even before boarding the aircraft.
However, BBC News Pidgin reported that Kenya Airways did not address the passengers’ claims about an attempted door opening in its statement confirming the death.
The cause of the passenger’s death was not disclosed by the airline.
Kenya Airways said it would continue to provide support to the deceased’s family while working with relevant authorities and aviation regulators.
