The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has vowed to put severe punishment on Kenya Airways for repeatedly breaking Nigerian aviation laws.
The airline’s management was accused of refusing to apologise to a Nigerian passenger, Gloria Omisore, who was reportedly mistreated by airline staff in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, lately.
Michael Achimugu, the NCAA’s spokesman, revealed in a statement posted on his X profile on Saturday that the airline’s Country Manager, James Nganga, was summoned to his office and admitted that the airline erred in handling the situation.
Achimugu went on to say that the sitting also criticized an airline statement issued to address the situation, labeling the contents as inaccurate in comparison to the genuine version of the incident.
However, the airline decided to change it to reflect the truth of the occurrence, a decision that the airline has yet to implement as of the time of reporting this article.
According to the statement, Kenya Airways executives admitted that boarding Omisore, who did not have a French transit visa, was a mistake.
“The passenger was flown from Lagos to Nairobi and had a 17-hour layover. Omisore was later advised that she would have to wait 10 hours before being able to board an aircraft to the UK.
She requested assistance during this time, citing her medical condition, but was met with bad treatment by airline personnel.
Omisore was not disruptive or unpleasant during the journey from Lagos to Nairobi, according to Kenya Airways.
“Following the event, the NCAA questioned Kenya Airways’ initial statement on the subject, calling it inaccurate.
Despite efforts to persuade the airline to amend its statement, the NCAA claims that the original statement has persisted, including in a blog post that erroneously stated Omisore declined an invitation to fly to London.
“This myth persists despite Kenya Airways admitting that Omisore’s dissatisfaction arose from the airline’s failure to offer accommodations during her lengthy stay.
“Video video captured airline employees verbally confronting Omisore, raising their voices and mocking her. Kenya Airways’ Country Manager, James Nganga, eventually admitted that his actions breached airline policies.
Despite the airline’s failure to correct the situation, the NCAA is still determined to holding Kenya Airways accountable for its terrible management of this occurrence,” Achimugu remarked.
In addition to this event, the NCAA has raised additional concerns about Kenya Airways, such as delayed flights and a failure to pay travelers for lost baggage.
The statement states in part, “The airline also refused to submit a compliance report for a seven-hour flight delay.” The airline team claimed ignorance of NCAA standards, prompting the NCAA to provide them a copy of the applicable guidelines.”
However, the NCAA has announced intentions to hold a retreat for all Nigerian airlines to review and refresh their grasp of the NCAA Regulations 2023, notably Part 19, which addresses passenger rights. The authority raised worry over the airline’s disrespect for regulatory duties and its poor track record of dealing with customer concerns.
The aviation regulatory body, however, insisted that enforcement action against Kenya Airways will proceed through due process, with the legal department on notice to ensure compliance, stating, “The authority’s commitment to safeguarding consumer protection rights in Nigeria remains unwavering, and it will take all necessary steps to address the violations brought to light.”
Meanwhile, Kenya Airways has no spokesperson or media office in Nigeria. However, our journalist attempted to reach out to the airline via its official X handle but has yet to receive a response.