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The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has vowed to impose stiff sanctions against Kenya Airways for serially violating aviation rules in Nigeria.
Topping the accusation against the airline was its management refusal to apologise to a Nigeria passenger, Gloria Omisore, who was reportedly maltreated by the airline staff in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, recently.
The NCAA publicist, Michael Achimugu, through his statement posted on his X handle on Saturday, explained that the airline’s Country Manager, James Nganga, was at his office upon a summon and admitted that the airline erred in the handling of the issue.
Achimugu added that the sitting also faulted a statement issued by the airline to address the matter, describing the contents as false as against the true account of the matter.
The airline, however, agreed to amend it to accommodate the truth of the incident, a decision which the airline is yet to adhere to as of the time of filing this report.
According to the statement, Kenya Airways officials had admitted that boarding Omisore, who lacked a France transit visa, was a mistake.
“The passenger was flown from Lagos to Nairobi, where she endured a 17-hour layover. Omisore was later informed that she would face a 10-hour wait before being allowed to board a flight to the UK. She requested care during this period, citing her medical condition, but was met with poor treatment by airline staff. Kenya Airways acknowledged that Omisore was neither unruly nor rude during the Lagos-Nairobi flight.
“Following the incident, the NCAA disputed Kenya Airways’ initial statement regarding the matter, calling it misleading. Despite efforts to get the airline to update its statement, the NCAA reports that the original statement has continued to circulate, including in a blog post that falsely claimed that Omisore refused an offer to fly to London.
“This misinformation persists despite Kenya Airways’ admission that Omisore’s frustration stemmed from the airline’s failure to provide accommodation during her extended layover.
“Video footage showed airline staff verbally confronting Omisore, raising their voices and insulting her. Kenya Airways’ Country Manager, James Nganga, later acknowledged that this behaviour violated airline policies. Despite the airline’s failure to rectify the situation, the NCAA remains committed to holding Kenya Airways accountable for the poor handling of this incident,” Achimugu stated.
In addition to this incident, the NCAA has highlighted other ongoing issues with Kenya Airways, including delayed flights and the failure to compensate passengers for lost baggage.
The statement reads partly, “The airline also refused to submit a compliance report for a flight delayed by seven hours. The airline’s team claimed ignorance of NCAA regulations, prompting the NCAA to send them a copy of the relevant guidelines.”
The NCAA, however, announced plans to organise a retreat for all airlines operating in Nigeria to review and refresh their understanding of the NCAA Regulations 2023, specifically Part 19, which covers passenger rights.
The authority expressed concern over the airline’s disregard for regulatory obligations and its poor track record in addressing customer complaints.
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 insisting that, “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 nor a media office in Nigeria.
However, our correspondent has sought a reaction through the airline’s official X handle but has yet to respond to the inquiry.
