THE Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued a sanction letter to Kenya Airways over multiple consumer protection violations involving Nigerian passenger Gloria Omisore and two others.
The airline, in a statement released by Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, is accused of several infractions, including failure to provide adequate care, lack of transparency on terms of carriage, delayed refunds and compensation, non-responsiveness to regulatory inquiries, and mishandling of lost baggage.
Under the NCAA’s 2023 Regulations, the airline has been directed to pay refunds and compensation amounting to 1,000 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) per affected passenger within seven days. Failure to comply, the agency warns, will lead to stiffer penalties.
The sanction follows a broader enforcement action initiated in February by the NCAA after Kenya Airways failed to apologise, refund, or compensate Ms. Omisore within the stipulated 48-hour window.
The airline reportedly requested an additional hour but still did not meet the regulator’s demands.
One of the highlighted complaints involved a serious passenger handling lapse: the airline flew Ms. Omisore to Nairobi without confirming her France transit visa, resulting in a prolonged layover and poor treatment despite her health condition.
The NCAA condemned the airline’s response, describing its public statement on the matter as misleading and uncorrected, despite being given a chance to amend it.
The regulator affirmed that Kenya Airways failed to submit a required compliance report concerning a seven-hour flight delay without compensation to passengers.
“The facts were presented to the airline, but it failed to act. Rather than correct its misleading narrative, the airline allowed it to persist,” Achimugu said.
“NCAA is committed to protecting Nigerian travellers and will pursue appropriate enforcement without compromise.”
