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By Lukman Olabiyi
Sovereignty Legal Practitioners has warned British Airways of a potential class action lawsuit concerning alleged mistreatment of Nigerian passengers.
In a pre-action letter dated August 30, 2024, Principal Partner, Ife Ajayi criticized the airline for frequent disruptions of flights to Nigeria, attributing the issues to the alleged use of faulty and substandard aircraft on these routes.
The firm has given British Airways a deadline to address the issue or face legal action.
The letter, addressed to the airline’s Customer Relations department in London, was also sent to various Nigerian officials and agencies, including the Ministry of Aviation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), among others.
The firm detailed numerous instances of severe delays and cancellations affecting Nigerian passengers due to technical faults in aircraft.
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One notable incident occurred on August 29, 2024, at Heathrow Airport, where passengers bound for Abuja were disembarked after three hours of check-in and later housed in low-quality hotels without any clear information on their rescheduled departure.
The letter expressed concern over the frequent technical failures and the apparent disparity in service quality, highlighting that Nigerian routes are often served by outdated aircraft while other routes receive better-maintained ones.
The firm emphasized that this not only causes significant inconvenience but also raises safety issues.
Sovereignty Legal Practitioners called on British Airways to either upgrade its aircraft servicing Nigerian routes or cease operations to Nigeria if it cannot ensure adequate safety and comfort for its passengers. The firm also demanded compensation for the affected passengers and warned that it would proceed with a class action lawsuit if these demands are not met.
