The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has sent out a stern warning to Qatar Airways, which it accused of mistreating Nigerian passengers and failing to abide with consumer protection regulations under Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
The airspace regulator in Nigeria said it was not going to.hold.back from slapping stiff penalties against Qatar Airways for repeatedly disregarding its directives.
Disclosing this in a statement by NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, . through his official X account, Achimugu said the latest incident involved a Nigerian passenger accused by a Qatar Airways cabin crew member of sexual harassment during boarding in Lagos for a flight to the United States via Doha.
The allegation was only reported in Doha, where the passenger was arrested, detained for 18 hours, fined, and compelled to sign a document written solely in Arabic. Qatar Airways allegedly refused to continue his journey, forcing him to purchase another ticket at considerable financials and reputational cost.
“The airline @qatarairways 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. This will be brought to a stop immediately.
“A member of this airline’s cabin crew claimed that, while she was wheeling a passenger during boarding for a flight from Lagos to the US via Doha, a male passenger who was travelling with his wife had touched her butt. She did not report this incident in Lagos. On arrival in Doha, she made an allegation against this passenger, leading to his arrest and detention for about eighteen hours,” the statement read in part.
It added, “To continue to treat our laws with contempt while respecting regulations across Europe and elsewhere is not ideal and must be brought to a complete and final stop. This department protects the airlines as much as it protects passengers. The DGCA, Captain Chris Najomo, has never minced words about his position on consumer protection issues, and we will apply appropriate and stiff penalties against the airlines that, in perpetuity, fail to comply.”
The NCAA stated that invited Qatar Airways’ country manager to a meeting over the incident, but the latter did not attend, sending subordinates instead.
He said that the airline has ignored regulatory determinations, failed to respond to passenger complaints escalated by the NCAA, and neglected to acknowledge a letter of investigation.
Achimugu stressed that Nigeria’s consumer protection rules must be respected just as airlines comply with those in Europe and elsewhere.
He warned that providing false information to the NCAA or disregarding its directives is unlawful, adding that bilateral air service agreements (BASAs) signed with Nigeria must be upheld.
