February 08, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has announced plans to take strict enforcement action against Kenya Airways following the ill-treatment of a Nigerian passenger, Gloria Omisore.
A statement issued on Saturday by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mike Achimugu, confirmed that the agency’s legal department has been notified to initiate due process.
Achimugu explained that Kenya Airways’ Country Manager in Nigeria has apologised for the Gloria Omisore incident, acknowledging that the airline should never have boarded the passenger from Lagos due to her lack of a France transit visa.
According to NCAA, the airline’s oversight led to Omisore being stranded in Nairobi for 17 hours, only to be informed that she would **have to endure an additional 10-hour wait before being flown to the UK.
“The passenger requested care during this period, citing health concerns, but was met with poor passenger handling. At no point was she unruly or rude,”Achimugu stated.
The NCAA also rejected Kenya Airways’ initial official statement, describing it as misleading and failing to accurately reflect the facts of the case.
Despite giving the airline an opportunity to issue a corrected statement, Kenya Airways has refused to comply.
The aviation authority further highlighted other infractions by Kenya Airways, including, “Failure to file a compliance report on a 7-hour flight delay that left passengers stranded without compensation.
“Claims of ignorance of NCAA Regulations despite operating in Nigeria.
“Unresolved cases of lost baggage, with passengers denied compensation despite the airline admitting liability and failure to honour refund commitments.
As part of its response, NCAA plans to organize a retreat for all airlines operating in Nigeria to educate them on Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023, which focuses on consumer protection and passenger rights.
“How can an airline operate in a foreign country without knowledge of its aviation regulations? This is no different from those who claimed Omisore should have known the travel documents she needed,”Achimugu said.
Omisore had contacted Kenya Airways on December 7, 2025, to confirm if she was eligible to travel on a Manchester-Paris-Nairobi-Lagos (inbound) and Lagos-Nairobi-Paris-Manchester route.
Despite informing the airline that she held a British resident permit but no Schengen visa, she was assured she could travel.
Trusting this information, she proceeded to purchase the ticket and successfully flew the first leg of her journey into Nigeria without incident.
However, the return leg turned into a nightmare after she was denied transit in Nairobi, leading to the escalation of events that now puts Kenya Airways under NCAA scrutiny.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
