A tragic incident unfolded during the journey of a Nigerian student, Meshioye Remilekun Toyosi, who was en route from Lagos to London aboard Egypt Air.
This unfortunate journey began at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos with high hopes of reaching her destination in London.
However, it ended in a heartbreaking turn of events, as Meshioye fell seriously ill mid-flight and ultimately passed away in a Cairo hospital.
Meshioye’s grieving family is now left seeking answers and assistance in repatriating her remains to Nigeria.
The family’s distress was compounded by their difficulty in obtaining information from Egypt Air regarding the circumstances surrounding her death.
Student’s tragic flight
They attempted to contact the airline’s customer care and other listed phone numbers on the website but faced unresponsiveness until they finally managed to reach a contact at Egypt Air’s Regional Office in London.
Meshioye’s sister, Mrs. Olufunmilola Olaniyi-Alabi, shared that the London office claimed to be unaware of the situation and had no information to share.
The family even contacted the ticket agent, who confirmed that Meshioye did not board the flight from Cairo to Heathrow.
Frustrated by the lack of communication from the airline, they intensified their efforts to seek information.
After a series of calls between Egypt Air’s London and Cairo offices, the family learned that Meshioye had fallen ill on the plane and was rushed to a Cairo hospital upon landing.
Unfortunately, further details about her condition and how she passed away remained elusive. The Nigerian Embassy was eventually informed, but they had not contacted the family as of the time of the report.
Mrs. Olaniyi-Alabi expressed her belief that Egypt Air should have promptly contacted Meshioye’s next of kin instead of forcing the family to struggle to obtain information. She also voiced suspicions that the airline might be withholding crucial details.
The family demanded that Egypt Air bear the expenses for repatriating Meshioye’s body to Nigeria and return her belongings to Lagos, where she boarded the plane.
In response, an unnamed representative from Egypt Air acknowledged that Meshioye had been on their flight and was transferred to a hospital in Cairo due to illness.
The airline had also informed the Nigerian Consulate in Cairo about the situation and was working on repatriating her body.
A member of the grieving family revealed their distress over the lack of communication from the airline regarding Meshioye’s passing, emphasizing that this added to their shock and sorrow.
They now seek answers from Nigerian authorities, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and request a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to Meshioye’s untimely death.
The family hopes for guidance and support in bringing her body back to Nigeria. As of the time of the report, there was no response from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.