Kenya Airways has formally apologised to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over its handling of Nigerian passenger, Gloria Omisore, and for issuing a misleading statement on the incident.
The airline’s apology followed a meeting with NCAA officials in Abuja on Tuesday, during which it admitted fault in the boarding and transit oversight that led to the passenger’s ordeal.
NCAA’s Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, Michael Achimugu, confirmed the development in a statement, saying the airline acknowledged its failure in properly verifying Omisore’s travel documents before departure.
“Their team has apologised for the obfuscation of facts in their earlier statement. They also admitted that phone call or not, it was the airline’s fault for failing to identify the issue before airlifting the passenger from Lagos,” Achimugu stated.
He explained that NCAA’s role is to protect all aviation stakeholders, passengers and airlines while upholding regulatory standards.
Following the meeting, Achimugu directed Kenya Airways to issue a public apology to both the passenger and the NCAA, clarifying the sequence of events. The airline has since released an updated statement reflecting the true events that occurred in Nairobi.
Omisore had contacted Kenya Airways ahead of her trip to confirm if she was eligible to fly the Manchester-Paris-Nairobi-Lagos route inbound and Lagos-Nairobi-Paris-Manchester outbound. She disclosed that she was a Nigerian passport holder with a British residence permit but without a Schengen visa.
Despite this, she was assured of her eligibility and successfully flew into Nigeria via Paris and Nairobi without incident.
However, on her return journey, the airline boarded her from Lagos without confirming the transit visa requirement for Paris. The oversight was only discovered in Nairobi, where she was informed that she could not continue her trip.
To rectify the situation, Kenya Airways offered her a direct flight to London at no extra cost but required her to wait an additional 10 hours after an initial 17-hour layover.
“Exhausted and unwell, the passenger requested accommodation and care, citing the airline’s error. When this was denied, an argument ensued between her and the airline staff,” Achimugu added.
NCAA also condemned the conduct of Kenya Airways staff during the incident, citing unprofessional behavior and disparaging remarks about Nigerian authorities.
“I expressed deep disappointment over the unruly behaviour of the airline’s staff, particularly the disparaging remarks about the Nigerian government, insinuating that nothing would be done regardless of how Nigerians were treated,” Achimugu stated.
He further clarified that Omisore did not refuse to board the alternative flight, as previously claimed by the airline. Instead, her frustration stemmed from the prolonged wait, denial of basic care, and the airline’s admission of fault.
Following its review, NCAA has directed Kenya Airways to refund and compensate Omisore for the avoidable distress and inconvenience caused by the airline’s oversight.
Although the airline initially requested 72 hours to respond, NCAA insisted on a 48-hour deadline, stating, “Truth should not be that hard to publish, considering how swiftly the misleading statement was released.”
Further updates are expected once the airline complies with NCAA’s directive.
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