Post a comment 
Dozens of passengers, including infants and the elderly, were left stranded at London’s Gatwick Airport after an Air Sierra Leone flight was canceled due to technical issues with the aircraft.
The disruption sparked frustration among travelers, with some fearing they would miss family burials in Sierra Leone.
The incident unfolded on Tuesday, with passengers already at the gate before being informed of the problem. Among those affected was gender activist Naasu Fofonah, who documented the situation.
She reported that passengers, including “babies, special needs children and the elderly,” were stranded at the airport after the crew announced the technical problem nearly three hours after passengers had reached the boarding gate.
According to Fofonah, security personnel informed passengers that Air Sierra Leone’s instruction was for “everyone should take their bags and go home” and that they would be reimbursed.
“The coordination and customer service was crap!!” Fofonah wrote, expressing her loss of confidence in the airline. She highlighted the distressing situation for those with urgent travel needs, stating, “Few people from the US are going for burial of their loved ones and they might miss it.” Fofonah also noted the added financial strain, citing a cost of £150 to secure a taxi home.
The incident follows a separate press release issued by Air Sierra Leone on Monday, September 29, 2025, which announced a delay for the Freetown-to-London Gatwick flight scheduled for Tuesday, September 30.
That delay was attributed to the cancellation of a connecting SN Brussels flight, which was supposed to position the operating crew for the service. Air Sierra Leone had rescheduled that Freetown departure to 6:05 p.m. on the same day.
The airline has not yet issued a statement regarding the technical cancellation and stranding of passengers in London.
