The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is taking decisive action against Kenya Airways, citing a pattern of serious consumer protection violations.
This move follows the widely reported incident involving passenger Gloria Omisore, whose experience with the airline has become a focal point of the NCAA’s concerns.
The NCAA’s Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr. Michael Achimugu says, despite an apology from Kenya Airways’ Nigeria Country Manager, James Nganga, for the incident, the airline has not corrected its initial, disputed account of the events.
The NCAA asserts that the airline’s version of the story, particularly regarding an alleged refusal by Omisore to fly to London, is misleading.
It maintained that Omisore’s frustration stemmed from a 10-hour wait for a connecting flight, during which she, as a bleeding passenger, was denied basic care like the ability to bathe.
“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”.
The regulatory agency also pointed to unprofessional conduct by airline staff, captured in a viral video, where staff members were seen engaging in verbal altercations with the passenger, behavior Mr. Nganga himself admitted violated company policy.
The NCAA further stated that Kenya Airways has failed to comply with its directives, including updating its statement to reflect the facts of the case and submitting a compliance report on a separate incident involving a seven-hour flight delay without passenger compensation.
The NCAA spokesman says, the airline’s claim of ignorance regarding NCAA regulations has also drawn criticism and in response to these accumulated issues, he disclosed a retreat will be organized for all airlines operating in Nigeria, focused on Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
This retreat according to him, aims to address what the NCAA perceives as a widespread need for airlines to refresh their understanding of passenger rights and regulatory obligations.
He assured NCAA’s action against Kenya Airways will proceed through due legal process, with the legal department now involved.
“Added to the other long-ignored cases read out to the KQ team that attended the meeting, the CAA is dismayed by the actions of this airline. Cases of refunds not paid, lost baggage not compensated for despite admitting to losing them, and failure to honour commitments.”