BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
Kenya Airways has formally apologised to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over the ill-treatment of Nigerian passenger, Gloria Omisore, and has admitted that its official statement on the incident was misleading.
This development came after the NCAA summoned the airline’s representatives to a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, to address the matter.
The meeting, chaired by the NCAA’s Director for Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, Michael Achimugu, was attended by Kenya Airways’ Country Manager, James Nganga; Station Manager, Eric Mukira; and Duty Manager, Ezenwa Ehumadu.
The NCAA informed the airline that Omisore had called Kenya Airways’ customer service on December 7, 2024, to confirm if she was eligible to fly the Manchester-Paris-Nairobi-Lagos (inbound) and Lagos-Nairobi-Paris-Manchester (outbound) route.
According to Omisore, the airline assured her that she was eligible, despite her clarifying that she held a British residence permit but no Schengen visa.
Based on this confirmation, she proceeded with her booking and successfully flew into Nigeria via Paris and Nairobi without issues.
However, on her return trip, Kenya Airways boarded her in Lagos despite the fact that she needed a transit visa for the Paris leg of her journey. The airline only discovered this issue upon her arrival in Nairobi.
Acknowledging their fault, the airline offered Omisore a direct flight to London at no extra cost, but only after a further 10-hour wait—on top of the 17-hour layover she had already endured. Feeling exhausted and unwell, she requested accommodation and care, which the airline denied. This led to a heated argument between her and the airline staff.
In response to the viral controversy, Kenya Airways had initially released a statement suggesting that Omisore had refused re-routing and had engaged in disruptive behavior.
However, the airline’s representatives admitted during the NCAA meeting that their statement obfuscated key facts.
“The team has apologised for the misrepresentation in their official statement.
“They have also acknowledged that, regardless of whether the customer service call was recorded or not, the airline should have identified the visa issue before airlifting the passenger from Lagos”, Achimugu added.
Kenya Airways has been given 48 hours to verify its call logs and confirm whether the conversation between Omisore and their customer service representative took place.
According to Achimugu, a particularly troubling aspect of the incident was the conduct of Kenya Airways staff in Nairobi.
According to Omisore, when she demanded better treatment, an airline employee allegedly dismissed her concerns with the remark: “Call your president”, insinuating that nothing would be done to address the situation.
“I expressed deep disappointment over the unruly Kenya Airways staff who insulted the office of the President of Nigeria, insinuating that the airline could mistreat Nigerians without consequences,” the NCAA Spokesman noted.
When questioned, Kenya Airways’ Country Manager, James Nganga, distanced the airline from the inappropriate remark, admitting that the staff member was out of line.
He formally apologised and stated that disciplinary measures would be determined by the airline’s headquarters in Nairobi.
The NCAA reiterated that all airlines operating in Nigeria are required to have dedicated customer relations desks with trained personnel to handle disputes professionally.
Had Kenya Airways complied with this regulation, the NCAA noted, the situation could have been better managed and prevented from escalating.
As part of its regulatory oversight, the NCAA has emphasized the need for airlines to enhance passenger service policies, ensuring that Nigerian travelers are treated with dignity and fairness.
