The federal government through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has initiated enforcement action against Kenya Airways over the airline’s refusal to, among others, tender an official apology, refund and compensate a Nigerian traveller, Gloria Omisore, within 48 hours.
The NCAA disclosed that while the airline requested for an extension of one hour after 48 hours elapsed, the carrier failed to comply with the agency’s determination, reports Saturday Vanguard.
Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection at NCAA, Mr Michael Achimugu, who disclosed this on X, also said, that on Thursday, Kenya Airways failed to send in a compliance report about a scheduled flight that was delayed for seven hours with no compensation for the passengers.
Achimugu stated that when the airline was confronted over the phone, its team claimed ignorance of the NCAA Regulations.
According to him, “to this end, we are organising a retreat for all airlines operating in Nigeria to learn and relearn Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.”
Achimugu stated: “The CAA is initiating maximum enforcement action against Kenya Airways for a large number of consumer protection infractions.
The Country Manager in Nigeria apologised for the Gloria Omisore incident. The airline admits that they should never have boarded the passenger from Lagos. The airline failed to discover the lack of a France transit visa and flew this passenger to Nairobi where she had a 17-hour layover, only to be told that she would have to endure a further 10-hour wait if she must be flown to the UK.
“Passenger then asks to be provided care for that 10-hour period as she is bleeding and needs to bathe. The actions of the airline staff following her request were down to poor passenger handling. Gloria Omisore was not an unruly passenger on the first leg of the flight, nor was she rude on the Lagos-Nairobi flight.
“We put the facts of the matter to the airline and rejected the misleading official statement put out by them.
“The determination was for the airline to update its initial statement to reflect the facts of the case. There has been no compliance. Rather, the original statement that obfuscated facts, in all of its royal misleading-ness, has been allowed to grow wings and fly.
The NCAA gave the airline an opportunity to fix what was wrong. The airline has failed to do so. Earlier yesterday, the airline asked for an extension of one hour, after which they still failed to comply with the determination of the CAA.
“The NCAA is, therefore, initiating stiff enforcement action against Kenya Airways. This action will go through due process. I have put our legal department on notice.”
On Tuesday, the NCAA gave Kenya Airways 48 hours to, among others, apologise for the maltreatment of a Nigerian passenger, Omisore, who was routed to travel from Nigeria through Nairobi, Paris and then to Manchester, the same route she had followed into the country.
Recall that as Omisore was returning to Manchester, Kenya Airways, however, abandoned her in Nairobi upon claims that she didn’t have a Schengen Visa, leading to a heated exchange between her and the airline’s official.
The video of the verbal altercation seen by Vanguard showed Omisore complaining about inhumane treatment by the airline, lamenting that she was not adequately taken care of despite a 17-hour layover.
In the footage, Omisore said: “You will provide a sanitary towel. I am speaking to the Minister of Finance of Nigeria. I want a hotel, I need a sanitary towel. You will give me food tonight. Very wicked set of people. 17 hours layover. I have blood clot issues.”
However, the Kenya Airways staff was seen telling Omisore: “You can never enter our aircraft again. What kind of mannerism is this? Call your president. We will give you nothing.”
