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From Sola Ojo, Abuja
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has warned Qatar Airways and other foreign carriers operating in Nigeria that their disregard for local consumer protection regulations would no longer be tolerated. A statement by the Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs of NCAA, Michael Achimugu, accused Qatar Airways of showing utter disdain for Nigerian passengers and the regulatory authority, particularly in its handling of a passenger’s alleged harassment case, and its subsequent refusal to comply with the agency’s determinations.
“The airline Qatar Airways 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,” the statement read.
According to Achimugu, a disturbing incident triggered the standoff, where a member of Qatar Airways’ cabin crew accused a Nigerian passenger of inappropriate conduct during boarding for a Lagos-Doha-U.S. flight.
“She claimed that while wheeling a passenger during boarding for a flight from Lagos to the U.S. via Doha, a male passenger travelling with his wife had touched her butt,” the NCAA disclosed.
The agency noted that the cabin crew did not report the allegation in Lagos but made the claim upon arrival in Doha, which led to the man’s arrest and detention for nearly 18 hours.
“During the period, his wife suffered mental, physical, and psychological trauma without any form of care. She wondered how her husband could have committed such a despicable infraction given that she was with him throughout the boarding process,” the statement stated.
The NCAA revealed that authorities in Doha fined the man heavily and compelled him to sign a document written only in Arabic.
“Desperate for freedom to proceed on his journey to the U.S., the passenger signed a document whose contents he did not understand,” it stated.
Despite the fine and signed document, Qatar Airways allegedly refused to transport the man to his final destination.
“He had to buy tickets on another airline and proceed at great financial and reputational cost,” the NCAA emphasised.
