Kenya Airways has formally apologised to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) following the reported mistreatment of Nigerian passenger, Gloria Omisore, and the release of an earlier misleading statement regarding the incident. The apology was tendered after a meeting held between the airline’s management and NCAA officials in Abuja on Tuesday.
Michael Achimugu, the NCAA’s Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, revealed details of the meeting in a post shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account. “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. He emphasized his responsibility to safeguard all aviation stakeholders—passengers and airlines alike—while ensuring strict adherence to civil aviation regulations.
Achimugu further disclosed that he had instructed Kenya Airways to issue a public apology to both Omisore and the NCAA. The airline has since updated its official statement to accurately reflect the events that transpired in Nairobi.
In attendance at the meeting were key Kenya Airways officials, including Country Manager James Nganga, Station Manager Eric Mukira, and Duty Manager Ezenwa Ehumadu.
The Incident in Detail
According to the NCAA, prior to her trip, Omisore had contacted Kenya Airways to confirm her eligibility to fly the Manchester-Paris-Nairobi-Lagos route for her inbound journey and the Lagos-Nairobi-Paris-Manchester route for her outbound return. She informed the airline that she held a British residence permit but did not possess a Schengen visa. Despite this, Kenya Airways assured her of her eligibility to travel.
Relying on this information, Omisore purchased her ticket and successfully completed her inbound journey to Nigeria via Paris and Nairobi without any issues. However, problems arose during her return trip. The airline boarded her from Lagos without identifying the requirement for a transit visa for the Paris leg of her journey. This oversight was only detected upon her arrival in Nairobi.
To resolve the situation, Kenya Airways offered Omisore a direct flight to London at no additional cost. However, this alternative came with a 10-hour wait following an already exhausting 17-hour layover. Fatigued and unwell, Omisore requested accommodation and care from the airline, citing their error. When her request was denied, tensions escalated between her and the airline staff.
NCAA Condemns Airline Conduct
The NCAA criticised the behaviour of Kenya Airways staff during the incident. “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.
He also clarified that Omisore did not refuse to board the alternative flight, contrary to claims made in the airline’s earlier statement. Instead, her frustration stemmed from the denial of basic care and the prolonged wait despite Kenya Airways admitting fault.
As a result, Kenya Airways has been instructed to refund and compensate Omisore for the “avoidable humiliation and distress” she suffered—a situation that also posed a threat to her job security.
Although the airline initially requested 72 hours to respond to the NCAA’s directives, they were granted only 48 hours. “The truth should not be that hard to publish, considering how swiftly the misleading statement was released,” Achimugu noted.
Further updates will be provided following the airline’s compliance with the NCAA’s directive.
Background of the Dispute
Hobnob News had previously reported the dispute between Kenya Airways and the NCAA over allegations of Omisore’s mistreatment during her journey from Lagos to Manchester, United Kingdom. A viral video circulating online captured a heated exchange between Omisore and airline officials at the Nairobi transfer desk.
In its initial statement, Kenya Airways claimed that Omisore became unruly after being denied boarding due to visa issues. The airline alleged that she threw used sanitary pads at staff—an accusation Omisore has not publicly addressed.
Kenya Airways maintained that it does not provide accommodation for passengers denied boarding due to visa-related issues, emphasizing that ensuring proper travel documentation is the passenger’s responsibility.
However, with the NCAA’s intervention and the airline’s subsequent admission of fault, the matter has taken a new turn, underscoring the importance of transparent communication and passenger rights in the aviation sector.
