Gloria Omisore, a Nigerian traveler, was mistreated by Kenya Airways, and the airline has apologized to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority for providing a false statement regarding the incident.
The apology came after the airline’s management and NCAA representatives met Tuesday in Abuja.
Michael Achimugu, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, revealed this in a post on his official X handle.
“Their team has expressed regret for their previous statement’s factual omissions. Additionally, they acknowledged that the airline was at responsible for not recognizing the problem prior to airlifting the customer from Lagos, whether or not they had a phone call, Achimugu said.
He stated that his responsibility was to enforce the civil aviation authority’s rules while safeguarding all parties involved in aviation, including travelers and airlines.
According to Achimugu, he had insisted that Kenya Airways apologize publicly to the NCAA and the passenger. Since then, the airline has issued a revised statement that accurately depicts what actually happened in Nairobi.
James Nganga, the country manager for Kenya Airways, Eric Mukira, the station manager, and Ezenwa Ehumadu, the duty manager, were in attendance.
He stated that his responsibility was to enforce the civil aviation authority’s rules while safeguarding all parties involved in aviation, including travelers and airlines.
According to Achimugu, he had insisted that Kenya Airways apologize publicly to the NCAA and the passenger. Since then, the airline has issued a revised statement that accurately depicts what actually happened in Nairobi.
James Nganga, the country manager for Kenya Airways, Eric Mukira, the station manager, and Ezenwa Ehumadu, the duty manager, were in attendance.
Before her journey, Omisore reportedly checked with Kenya Airways to see if she could travel on the Manchester-Paris-Nairobi-Lagos route incoming and the Lagos-Nairobi-Paris-Manchester route outbound, according to the NCAA.
According to reports, she disclosed to the airline that she was a Nigerian who lacked a Schengen visa but had a British residency status. She was assured of her eligibility in spite of this.
Achimugu said, “She bought the ticket based on this information and flew into Nigeria via Paris and Nairobi without any problems.”
However, the airline failed to obtain a transit permit for the Paris leg and boarded her from Lagos on her return trip. Only in Nairobi was the oversight found.
After a 17-hour layover, Kenya Airways offered her a direct ticket to London at no additional cost, but she had to wait an extra 10 hours.
Citing an airline fault, the tired and ill traveler asked for accommodations and attention. She and the airline employees got into a fight after this was refuted, Achimugu continued.
The behavior of Kenya Airways employees during the incident was also denounced by the NCAA.
“The airline’s employees’ unruly behavior, especially their derogatory comments about the Nigerian government, which implied that nothing would be done regardless of how Nigerians were treated, deeply disappointed me,” Achimugu said.
He said that, contrary to what the airline had previously stated, Omisore did not decline to take the other flight.
Her annoyance instead arose from the extended wait and the refusal of basic care, even after the airline acknowledged its mistakes.
In addition to threatening Omisore’s job security, Kenya Airways has been ordered to reimburse and compensate her for the “avoidable humiliation and distress” she experienced.
The NCAA only gave the airline 48 hours to react, despite the airline’s initial request for 72 hours, arguing that “truth should not be that hard to publish, considering how swiftly the misleading statement was released.”
Following the airline’s compliance with the directive, more updates will be given.
The NCAA and Kenya Airways disagreement over Omisore’s alleged abuse during his flight from Lagos to Manchester, UK, was previously covered by Newsline.
A violent argument between her and airline representatives at the Nairobi transfer counter was caught on camera in a widely shared video.
Omisore has not publicly responded to the airline’s accusation that she hurled soiled sanitary pads at officials after being refused boarding because of visa problems, which caused her to become disruptive.
The airline insisted that travelers who are refused boarding due to visa-related concerns are not eligible for accommodations, and that it is the passenger’s obligation to make sure they have the appropriate travel documents.
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