- Kenya Airways formally apologised to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and Gloria Omisore
- The apology followed an incident in which the airline offered Omisore a flight to London after a 17-hour layover, but failed to provide adequate care or accommodation
- Kenya Airways was directed to compensate Omisore for the distress and humiliation caused
Kenya Airways has issued an official apology to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for the mistreatment of Nigerian passenger Gloria Omisore and for providing a misleading statement regarding the incident.
Michael Achimugu, Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs at the NCAA, confirmed the apology which followed a meeting between the airline's management and NCAA officials in Abuja on Tuesday, February 4.
“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.
Achimugu emphasised his commitment to protecting all aviation stakeholders, including passengers and airlines, while enforcing civil aviation regulations. He stated that he had insisted Kenya Airways issue a public apology to both Omisore and the NCAA.
In response, Kenya Airways released an updated statement that accurately reflected the events that transpired in Nairobi.
The meeting in Abuja was attended by key figures from the airline, including Country Manager James Nganga, Station Manager Eric Mukira, and Duty Manager Ezenwa Ehumadu.
How Kenya Airways incident began
The incident began when Omisore, a Nigerian with a British residence permit but without a Schengen visa, confirmed her travel eligibility with the airline before her trip.
“Based on this information, she purchased the ticket and successfully flew into Nigeria via Paris and Nairobi without incident,” Achimugu explained.
She was assured by Kenya Airways that she could travel on the Manchester-Paris-Nairobi-Lagos route and the Lagos-Nairobi-Paris-Manchester return leg, despite the lack of a Schengen visa.
However, upon her return journey, the airline allowed her to board Lagos but failed to check for the required transit visa for the Paris leg of the flight. This oversight was only discovered in Nairobi.
To resolve the situation, Kenya Airways offered Omisore a direct flight to London at no extra charge, but with the condition of a 10-hour wait following a 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.
The NCAA condemned the airline's handling of the situation, particularly the conduct of the staff involved.
“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
Achimugu clarified that Omisore did not refuse to board the alternative flight, as initially claimed by Kenya Airways.
Instead, her frustration stemmed from the lack of basic care and the extended wait, despite the airline's admission of fault.
Kenya Airways was directed by the NCAA to compensate Omisore for the distress and humiliation she suffered, which also jeopardised her job security.
Although the airline initially requested 72 hours to respond, the NCAA reduced the timeline to 48 hours stating, “Truth should not be that hard to publish, considering how swiftly the misleading statement was released.”
NCAA imposes fines on airlines over delayed passengers’ luggage
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) imposed a $170 or N10,000 fine on foreign and domestic airlines, respectively, over delayed passengers’ luggage.
A total of 19,274 cases of delayed/missing passengers’ luggage were recorded in the first half of 2024.