LAGOS — A medical emergency aboard a Kenya Airways flight from Nairobi to Lagos ended in tragedy on Tuesday night, October 6, 2026, after a passenger became unresponsive mid-flight and was declared dead upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA).
In an official statement released on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, Kenya Airways PLC confirmed that the incident occurred aboard flight KQ 532 at approximately 9:20 PM Nigerian time, roughly 20 minutes before the aircraft was scheduled to land in Lagos.
According to the airline, the passenger suddenly became unresponsive during the flight’s final descent. Cabin crew members immediately activated emergency protocol and administered first aid while alerting airport medical personnel on the ground.
The aircraft landed safely at MMIA at 9:41 PM, where a waiting medical response team boarded the plane to perform emergency life-saving procedures. However, following a preliminary examination, the medical team confirmed that the passenger had passed away.
Kenya Airways expressed its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the deceased while extending an apology to fellow passengers for the disruption caused by the emergency.
The airline noted that it is withholding the passenger’s identity out of respect for family privacy, adding that relevant Nigerian aviation authorities and security agencies have commenced standard procedures to establish the cause of death.
