Kenya Airways has issued an apology to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) concerning the poor treatment of a Nigerian passenger named Gloria Omisore and also for providing incorrect information about the situation.
The apology came after a meeting on Tuesday in Abuja, Nigeria, where representatives from the airline spoke with officials from the NCAA. Michael Achimugu, who is the NCAA’s Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, shared this update through a post on his official social media account.
During the meeting, Kenya Airways acknowledged that their earlier statement about the situation was confusing and misleading. They admitted that, regardless of any phone calls provided, it was their responsibility to properly check and confirm Omisore’s travel eligibility before allowing her to board a flight from Lagos, Nigeria.
Achimugu mentioned that his job is to protect everyone involved in aviation, including both passengers and airlines, while making sure that airline regulations are followed correctly. He also insisted that Kenya Airways publicly apologize to both Omisore and the NCAA. Following this, the airline provided a corrected statement that accurately described what had happened during her travel in Nairobi.
The meeting included several Kenya Airways officials: James Nganga, the Country Manager; Eric Mukira, the Station Manager; and Ezenwa Ehumadu, the Duty Manager.
What happened? Omisore had reached out to Kenya Airways before her journey to verify if she could fly on a specific route from Manchester to Paris and then on to Nairobi before returning to Lagos. She informed the airline that she was a Nigerian citizen living in the UK with a residence permit but did not have a Schengen visa. The airline reassured her that she was eligible to travel this way, so she bought her ticket and successfully made her way to Nigeria without any issues.
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However, on her return trip, the airline allowed Omisore to board her flight from Lagos but failed to recognize that she needed a transit visa for the leg of the journey that went through Paris. This mistake was only realized when she reached Nairobi.
To make amends, Kenya Airways offered her a direct flight to London without charging her extra, but they required her to wait an additional 10 hours after already having a lengthy 17-hour layover.
Feeling exhausted and unwell, Omisore asked the airline for accommodation and some care due to their earlier mistake, but her request was denied. This refusal led to a disagreement between her and the airline staff.
Achimugu criticized the way Kenya Airways staff acted during the situation, particularly noting how they made disrespectful remarks about the Nigerian government, suggesting that concerns regarding how Nigerians are treated would go unheard.
He clarified that Omisore did not refuse the alternative flight, as the airline previously claimed. Rather, her frustration came from the lack of basic assistance and the long wait even after the airline admitted it was at fault.
The NCAA has instructed Kenya Airways to compensate Omisore for the unnecessary stress and embarrassment she experienced, which also put her job at risk. Although the airline initially asked for 72 hours to respond to this directive, the NCAA only gave them 48 hours, stating that it shouldn’t take long to share the truth since the misleading information was released quickly.
More updates will follow once the airline follows through on the NCAA’s orders. Earlier reports had highlighted the conflict between NCAA and Kenya Airways over the way Omisore was treated during her travel from Lagos to Manchester. A video of the confrontation between her and airline officials at the Nairobi airport went viral.
The airline claimed that Omisore became difficult to handle after being denied boarding due to visa problems and accused her of throwing used sanitary items at their staff. However, Omisore has not publicly addressed these claims. Kenya Airways reiterated that it does not provide accommodation for passengers who are denied boarding because of visa issues, stating it is the passenger’s duty to ensure they have the correct travel documents.
