Victory for Nigerian Travelers: Kenya Airways Pays NCAA Fine Over Passenger Mistreatment
In a major win for consumer protection, Kenya Airways has paid the sanction imposed by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) following a high-profile incident involving a Nigerian passenger, Gloria Ibukun Omisore.
While the payment of the fine is a sign of the airline’s compliance, the NCAA has stressed that this does not mark the end of the matter, emphasizing that fundamental issues with the airline’s passenger handling must be addressed.
The payment, confirmed by Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, brings to a close a months-long dispute that began in February 2025. The incident, which gained significant public attention, involved Ms. Omisore being denied boarding on her connecting flight from Nairobi to Paris.
What Happened to Gloria Omisore?
Ms. Omisore’s ordeal began when she was traveling from Lagos to Manchester via Nairobi and Paris on a Kenya Airways ticket. Upon reaching Nairobi, she was denied boarding for the Paris leg of her journey.
The airline claimed she lacked a required Schengen visa for transit, a detail that has been at the heart of the controversy. Critics, including the NCAA’s Achimugu, questioned why the airline allowed her to board the initial flight from Lagos if her travel documents were insufficient.
The situation escalated when the airline, after a long delay, offered an alternative route via London, which Ms. Omisore reportedly declined. A heated verbal altercation ensued, with the airline accusing her of “inappropriate behavior,” a claim the NCAA sought to verify with CCTV footage.
The incident sparked widespread public outrage and prompted the NCAA to launch a full investigation. The regulatory body found Kenya Airways guilty of breaching several consumer protection regulations, including failure to provide care and support during a disrupted journey and a lack of transparency in its initial statements.
The NCAA’s Stance: Beyond the Fine
While the payment of the fine, which included a N3 million penalty and compensation for the affected passengers, is a significant development, the NCAA has made it clear that this is a step, not a conclusion. As Achimugu stated,
“The payment of sanction fines does not conclude the issues.” The purpose of the sanction, he explained, is not to punish but to correct and improve. The NCAA is using this case to send a clear message to all airlines operating in Nigeria: passenger rights are non-negotiable.
The authority will continue to closely monitor Kenya Airways’ operations to ensure the airline implements lasting changes to its processes and protocols. The goal is to prevent similar incidents from happening to other Nigerian travelers.
The dispute, which involved high-level meetings between the NCAA and officials from Kenya Airways and the Kenyan High Commission, demonstrates the NCAA’s commitment to protecting the rights of its citizens. For Gloria Omisore and other affected passengers, the airline’s compliance offers some measure of vindication and hope that their experience will lead to better treatment for all travelers in the future.
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