The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has announced the commencement of official sanctions against Qatar Airways over alleged multiple violations of passengers’ rights.
The spokesperson of the NCAA made this known in a video circulating on social media.
The aviation regulator has also issued letters of investigation to three other international airlines and a domestic carrier over passenger maltreatment-related offences.
The NCAA and Qatar Airways, in particular, have locked horns over various customer complaints against the airline.
In September, Achimugu, in a narration posted on his verified X handle, addressed a case that borders on the airline’s compliance with aviation consumer protection laws.
He stated that the airline’s handling of a passenger-related incident demonstrated clear disregard for established regulatory standards meant to protect travellers.
The statement detailed an incident involving a Nigerian passenger who was accused of sexual harassment by a Qatar Airways cabin crew member during the boarding process in Lagos.
The PUNCH reports that the passenger was reportedly en route to the United States, connecting through Doha. The accusation, Achimugu noted, was mishandled by the airline from the outset.
Qatar Airways allegedly escalated the issue in Doha Instead of reporting the matter to the appropriate Nigerian authorities before departure. Upon its arrival in Qatar, the passenger was detained for 18 hours, fined, and forced to sign a document written entirely in Arabic, a language he did not understand.
The airline, however, refused to airlift the passenger to his final destination.
In response to these violations, the NCAA warned that it would impose penalties on Qatar Airways for its continuous disregard of regulatory directives.
The authority also demanded that the airline refund the man’s ticket fee, since it had refused to take him to his destination.
Achimugu said, “I would like to announce that we have initiated enforcement action against Qatar Airways for various infractions against Nigerian passengers. We have also issued letters of investigation to airlines such as Air France, Ethiopian, Royal Air Maroc, and even Overland, a domestic operator.
“The message is simple: you must operate with respect and in compliance with Part 19 of the NCAA Act, and this is non-negotiable and absolutely not negotiable.
“We won’t hesitate to sanction, re-sanction, and re-sanction every airline that fails to comply with the regulations. Passengers deserve the best service when they pay for it.”
Speaking with our correspondent over the phone, the publicist said the airline had refused either to respond to the NCAA letter or to refund the man as requested by the authority.
“And we have made it clear that if they continue to refuse to respond to our call as due, they will definitely be sanctioned.”
