Hajj flight forced to return twice after pilgrim denied boarding; no issues after permission granted

The story of a Libyan man on his way to perform Hajj this year has gone viral on social media.

The young man, Amer Al Mahdi Mansour Al Gaddafi, was travelling to the holy city of Mecca to perform the Islamic pilgrimage. However, he ran into trouble upon arriving at the airport with his group.

Amer was stopped at immigration on doubts about his surname, "Al Gaddafi,” which still raises red flags in some security systems because of Libya’s past political unrest. While his group boarded the plane, Amer was held for questioning.

(عامر المهدي منصور القذافي) شاب ليبي قرر حج بيت الله وعند وصوله المطار واجه مشكلة أمنية في جواز السفر (بسبب اسم العائلة) فتأخر وأصر الكابتن على الإقلاع بدونه قائلاً بأنه لا يمكن الانتظار حتى يتم حل مشكلة الجواز... أمّا عامر فأصر بأنه لن يبرح المطار حتى يذهب للحج.

أقلعت الطائرة… pic.twitter.com/RMSdVrr4rO

— إياد الحمود (@Eyaaaad) May 23, 2025

Despite his repeated pleas, the flight crew reportedly decided to take off without him. But Amer did not give up. “I will not move from here unless it’s toward Hajj,” he told officials.

Soon after takeoff, the flight faced a technical issue and had to return. After a quick repair, it took off again, but a problem forced the plane to turn back once again.

Following the second emergency landing, according to the passengers, the captain made an announcement: “I swear I won’t fly again unless Amer is with us on this plane.”

Authorities then cleared Amer for travel. On the third attempt, with Amer finally onboard, the flight departed successfully without any further issues.

The story quickly spread across social media, with many calling it a sign of divine intervention. Speaking to local media later, Amer said, “I only wanted to go to Hajj. And I believed that if it was meant for me, nothing could stop it.”