The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that it could impose additional sanctions against Kenya Airways (KQ) following repeated complaints of mistreatment of Nigerian passengers.
The move follows an earlier sanction on the Kenyan carrier for mistreating a sick Nigerian passenger.
Further, Michael Achimugu, the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, confirmed that the latest action comes from KQ’s failure to comply with prior directives and a growing backlog of unresolved complaints.
“There’s a truckload of complaints against the airline still going through processing. They may be facing even stiffer sanctions than this one, even if they do comply with the letters of this particular instruction,” he said.
According to Achimugu, Kenya Airways has been given seven days to meet the conditions outlined in its exemption letter.
After that, the NCAA will convene a meeting with the airline to discuss specific steps to improve its services for Nigerian travellers.
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NCAA Explains that it is Not Exploiting Kenya Airways
Moreover, Achimugu explained that the NCAA’s sanctions are not revenue-driven but aim to uphold industry standards and protect consumer rights.
“The aim of these sanctions is not to raise money for the CAA. It is to ensure compliance and improve the services of these airlines.”
“All the other airlines we’ve sanctioned, Ethiopian, Royal Air Maroc, Air Peace, they have all either paid their sanction fees or reached out to resolve the issues before the letters even arrived,” he added.
Additionally, he stated that airlines viewing sanctions as a diplomatic insult are not ready for business.
“Any airline that feels that being sanctioned will strain the relationship is not ready for business,” said the director.
At the same time, although the NCAA acknowledged that not all passenger complaints point to fault on Kenya Airways, the Authority relies on international aviation laws to reach fair judgments.
“We are not in the business of punishing airline staff as individuals. Our concern is with the airline as an operator.”
“Sometimes, complaints may not be the airline’s fault. But for every complaint we receive, we refer to the regulations and make our determinations based on the law,’ he explained.
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Earlier Sanction on Kenya Airways
The sanction facing Kenya Airways resulted from an incident involving Gloria Omisore, a Nigerian passenger who alleged that she was mistreated by the airline in January 2025.
Omisore boarded a Kenya Airways flight in Lagos, believing she would be connected to the United Kingdom via France, as arranged by the airline.
However, she lacked a French transit visa, a requirement the airline reportedly failed to communicate clearly during booking.
As a result, Omisore was denied boarding in Paris and endured a 17-hour layover in Nairobi. During this time, she claims she received inadequate care despite alerting staff about a medical condition.
A video that later surfaced on social media showed her visibly distressed as airline staff appeared to insult and verbally confront her, further fueling public outrage.
In response, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) issued a formal sanction against Kenya Airways on May 7, 2025, citing multiple consumer protection violations.
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