THE Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority says it is initiating maximum enforcement action against Kenya Airways for a  number of consumer protection infractions.

The NCAA spokesperson, Michael Achimugu, made this known in a statement on Saturday, February 8.

He said, “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.”

According to him, Kenya Airway’s country manager, James Nganga, had apologised for the maltreatment of a passenger, Gloria Omisore.

He explained that Kenya Airways had failed to discover the lack of a France transit visa and flew the 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 United Kingdom.

“The passenger then asked to be provided care for those 10 hours as she was bleeding and needed to bathe. But the actions of the airline staff following her request were down to poor passenger handling. Omisore was not an unruly passenger on the first leg of the flight, nor was she rude on the Lagos-Nairobi flight.

“Following the incident, however, the airline’s management has not shown any remorse to apologise to Omisore, who was reportedly maltreated by the airline staff in Nairobi, Kenya,” Achimugu said, adding that it only 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,” Achimugu said.

He explained that following the incident, the NCAA disputed Kenya Airway’s 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 Airway’s 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 maintained.

In addition to this incident, he said the NCAA has highlighted other ongoing issues with Kenya Airways, including delayed flights and the failure to compensate passengers for lost baggage.

“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,” Achimugu said.

He hinted that the NCAA has set out 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.

He stressed that the authority expressed concern over the airline’s disregard for regulatory obligations and its poor track record in addressing customer complaints.

“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,” he added.

The ICIR can report Omisore was stranded at Nairobi Airport on Monday, February 3, putting the NCAA and management of Kenya Airways at loggerheads over the perceived inhuman treatment meted out to a Nigerian passenger identified as “Gloria Ibukun Omisore” at the Nairobi airport by Kenya Airways officials.

In a viral video on social media, a representative of Kenya Airways was seen in a verbal exchange with the passenger.

In the video, a Kenya Airways agent told Omisore she would not be allowed to fly with the airline again but she responded that she was on the phone with Nigeria’s finance minister.

However, the agent, visibly angry, said she could call even the Nigerian president if she wanted.

The incident has since triggered an altercation between NCAA officials and Kenya Airways, including reactions from several users of the social media platforms.