The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has accused Qatar Airways of consistently disregarding Nigerian passengers’ rights and violating consumer protection regulations, warning that such behaviour will no longer be tolerated.
Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, said the airline has carried on “as though Nigerian passengers and the NCAA are not deserving of their respect, dignified treatment, and compliance with Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023″, adding that “this will be brought to a stop immediately.”
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The latest controversy involves a Nigerian passenger travelling with his wife from Lagos to the United States via Doha. A member of Qatar Airways’ cabin crew alleged that the passenger had touched her inappropriately while she was assisting another traveller during boarding at Lagos airport.
According to the NCAA, the allegation was not reported in Nigeria. Instead, on arrival in Doha, the crew member filed a complaint, leading to the man’s arrest and detention for more than 18 hours.
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His wife, left unattended, said she endured severe psychological and emotional distress during the ordeal. She maintained that she had been with her husband throughout the boarding process and questioned how such an act could have occurred.
The detained passenger was reportedly compelled to pay a hefty fine in Doha and to sign a document written entirely in Arabic, a language he could not read or understand. Desperate to regain his freedom and continue his journey, he signed. Yet, despite this, Qatar Airways allegedly refused to fly him to his final destination.
Stranded, he purchased another ticket on a different airline, incurring what he later described as severe financial loss and reputational damage.
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NCAA steps in
Following the incident, the NCAA invited Qatar Airways to a meeting. But according to Mr Achimugu, the airline’s country manager is known for avoiding engagements with the authority and failed to appear and instead sent subordinates.
Despite this, the NCAA made determinations on the matter, which Qatar Airways allegedly ignored.
Mr Achimugu said the airline has also failed to respond to subsequent complaints referred to it by the NCAA, including an official Letter of Investigation (LOI).
“This behaviour stops now,” he warned.
A pattern of passenger-handling controversies has trailed Qatar Airways internationally.
In 2020, for instance, international media reported that several female passengers were subjected to intrusive physical examinations at Doha’s Hamad International Airport, an incident that sparked diplomatic protests from Australia and other countries and forced Qatari authorities to issue a rare public apology.
Aviation experts said such episodes have placed Qatar Airways and Doha airport procedures under closer global scrutiny, reinforcing concerns now being raised by the NCAA.
‘No Airline Is Above the Law’
The NCAA stressed that consumer protection obligations under Part 19 of its 2023 regulations are binding. These include timely responses to complaints and compliance with determinations.
“It is against the law for any airline not to respond to the NCAA. It is against the law to provide false information. It is against the law to fail to comply with consumer protection regulations,” Mr Achimugu said.
He added that while international carriers respect consumer protection enforcement across Europe and elsewhere, it is unacceptable to treat Nigerian laws with contempt.
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“When Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs) are signed, they must be respected by both parties,” he noted.
The NCAA further warned that Royal Air Maroc and Saudi Air, both of which have also been cited for infractions, could face heavy sanctions if they fail to comply with directives.
Chris Najomo, the NCAA’s Director General, reiterated that his administration would apply “appropriate and stiff penalties against airlines that, in perpetuity, fail to comply.”
However, Qatar Airways is yet to respond to PREMIUM TIMES’ request for comment as of the time of filing this report.
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