The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has taken enforcement action against Kenya Airways over serious violations of passenger rights in Nigeria.
The airline failed to refund, compensate, or apologize to a Nigerian passenger, Gloria Omisore, within the required 48-hour deadline.
According to Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Kenya Airways requested an extra hour but still failed to comply.
What happened?
Kenya Airways flew Gloria Omisore from Lagos to Nairobi without confirming her France transit visa.
She was supposed to travel onward to Manchester.
The visa error left Omisore stranded in Nairobi for 17 hours.
She then faced another 10-hour delay.
During this time, Omisore, who had a medical condition, asked for help.
But the airline failed to provide proper care or assistance.
Additional violations
The NCAA also reported that Kenya Airways failed to submit a compliance report after a seven-hour flight delay.
Affected passengers received no compensation, as required under Nigerian aviation law.
When questioned, the airline claimed it was unaware of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
NCAA responds
Achimugu criticized the airline, saying, “How can a company operate in a foreign country without recourse to the relevant regulations?”
He announced that the NCAA will host a compliance retreat for all airlines operating in Nigeria.
The training will focus on Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations, which outlines passenger rights and consumer protection.
The NCAA has ordered Kenya Airways to:
- Pay 1,000 Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to each affected passenger.
- Issue a formal apology.
- Submit a detailed compliance report.
- The authority warned that failure to comply will lead to harsher penalties.
The NCAA reaffirmed its commitment to protect Nigerian air travelers. It promised to enforce strict penalties on anyairline that violates passenger rights.
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