The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has scheduled a meeting with Kenya Airways following the imposition of a N3m fine on the airline over its alleged maltreatment of a Nigerian passenger.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, disclosed this to Sunday PUNCH. According to him, “The airline has responded. They have asked to have a meeting with us to try to explain their side of things.
“The way we operate is when a stakeholder says they would like to meet, we will meet with them and hear what they have to say first before any further action is taken,” Achimugu stated.
He added, “Kenya Airways has indicated that the meeting will involve representatives from their civil aviation authority, their consulate in Nigeria, and senior officials within the airline.
“Kenya Airways is saying that members of their civil aviation authority, consulate in Nigeria, and the top hierarchy of the airline would like to have a meeting with us to clear up some of the issues, not just for Gloria, but especially for Gloria. So we are open to such a meeting. They have asked me for a date,” he added.
While the NCAA has not fixed a specific date for the meeting, Achimugu noted that it would likely take place in mid-June due to the agency’s packed schedule.
“At the moment, we are looking towards the middle of next month (June) because of our busy schedule. However, Gloria is comforted knowing that her rights are being fought for. So she has reached out to me as well,” he said.
Achimugu assured the public that the matter was being handled with the seriousness it deserves and promised further updates following the upcoming meeting.
“We are good. Once that meeting happens, we will have more updates,” he concluded.
In February 2025, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority initiated enforcement actions against Kenya Airways following a widely publicized incident involving Nigerian passenger Gloria Omisore.
Omisore was flown from Lagos to Nairobi without the necessary France transit visa for her onward journey to Manchester, resulting in a 17-hour layover and an additional 10-hour wait.
During this period, Omisore, who was experiencing a medical condition, requested care but was reportedly met with inadequate assistance from the airline staff. The NCAA noted that the airline issued a misleading statement about the incident, which the regulatory body rejected.
Following the incident, the NCAA summoned Kenya Airways’ Nigeria management for a meeting in Abuja. The airline subsequently issued an apology and acknowledged that its official statement regarding the incident was misleading.
On May 7, 2025, the NCAA sanctioned Kenya Airways for multiple consumer protection violations, including failure to provide care, lack of transparency in carriage terms, poor communication with the authority, and mishandling of refunds and baggage.
The airline was ordered to pay fines and compensate each affected passenger, including Omisore, with 1,000 Special Drawing Rights (approximately $1,300), with a seven-day compliance deadline.
