Why British Airways denied boarding to 58 Abuja-London passengers – NCAA

Story by Jessica Mbamah 

British Airways has denied 58 Abuja–London-bound passengers boarding over a faulty aircraft door, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said on Friday.

In a statement on X, the NCAA’s Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said safety concerns required airlines to leave some seats vacant.
“The actual problem was a faulty door. So, the seats around the door had to be kept unoccupied for safety reasons. As a result, they had to deny 58 passengers boarding this morning,” he said.
“Hotel accommodation has been provided, and 28 passengers opted to return home, while 30 accepted the offer.
“Affected passengers can file for compensation. Arrangements are being made to airlift them tomorrow morning,” he added.

READ ALSO: NCAA suspends 2 ValueJet pilots for safety breach at Abuja airport

Achimugu warned passengers that “the first resort in situations like this is to locate the NCAA Consumer Protection Officers at the terminal, and they will ensure that your right to care is protected (if the airline delays).

While the decision was a standard safety protocol, an X user advised the NCAA to look into the state of the interiors of some of the aircraft that foreign airlines bring to Nigeria.
“Not nice at all despite the huge amount of money that they charge,” the user with the handle, @NewDawnNaija23, said.

READ ALSO: Kenya Airways apologizes to passenger after NCAA meeting

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