The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has issued a formal reprimand to Qatar Airways, accusing the carrier of flouting aviation regulations and mistreating Nigerian passengers.
Michael Achimugu, the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, outlined the allegations in a statement on his X account. He warned that any airline found in breach of the Authority’s rules “would face severe sanctions.”
The strongest accusations stem from an incident in Doha, where a Nigerian traveller was detained after cabin crew accused him of inappropriate conduct. “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,” Achimugu declared.
He explained that the crew member “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.” The allegation first surfaced on arrival in Doha, and authorities detained the passenger for approximately eighteen hours.
During that time, the passenger’s wife endured “mental, physical, and psychological trauma without any form of care,” Achimugu said, questioning how the accusation could stand when she had witnessed every stage of boarding.
He added that Qatari officials imposed a “hefty fine” and compelled the passenger to sign a document entirely in Arabic, which he did not understand. “Despite this, the airline refused to fly him to his final destination. He had to buy tickets on another airline and proceed at great financial and reputational cost,” the statement read.
Efforts by the NCAA to engage Qatar Airways directly have faltered, according to Achimugu. He noted that the airline’s country manager routinely delegated meetings to subordinates and failed to honour resolutions or respond to the Authority’s investigative letter. “I understand that some countries do not have advanced aviation consumer protection regulations like Nigeria does. In certain cases, some countries don’t even have any. This creates a situation where airlines operating out of those countries (mostly national carriers) act with disdain towards consumer protection enforcement in Nigeria,” he observed.
Outlining the NCAA’s next steps, Achimugu emphasised that airlines must obey Nigerian regulations or face consequences. “This is not a situation that we would accept here. It is against the law for any Airline not to respond to the NCAA. It is against the law to provide false information to the NCAA. It is against the law to fail to comply with the provisions of Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.”
He reminded carriers that bilateral air service agreements carry equal obligations. “When BASAs are signed, they must be respected by both parties. Every airline is expected to, upon approval to operate in Nigeria, understand and comply with consumer protection regulations. 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.”
Achimugu also underscored the NCAA’s readiness to impose stringent penalties. “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.”
He revealed that Royal Air Maroc and Saudi Air have already received warnings over similar infringements and cautioned that failure to heed the Authority’s directives will prompt significant sanctions.