The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced plans to sanction Qatar Airways for alleged mistreatment of a Nigerian passenger during boarding in Lagos.
The incident involved a male passenger accused by a Qatar Airways cabin crew member of sexual harassment while boarding a flight from Lagos to the United States via Doha.
According to Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, the airline failed to report the allegation in Nigeria. Instead, the accusation was made in Doha, where the passenger was subsequently arrested, detained for 18 hours, fined, and forced to sign a document written solely in Arabic.
Qatar Airways reportedly refused to allow the passenger to continue his journey, compelling him to purchase another ticket at considerable financial and reputational cost.
The NCAA has warned the airline for not complying with consumer protection regulations under Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
Achimugu stated, “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. This will be brought to a stop immediately.”
The regulator also disclosed that Royal Air Maroc and Saudi Air have been cautioned for similar violations and face heavy sanctions if non-compliance persists.
Despite an invitation to Qatar Airways’ country manager for a meeting over the incident, the official failed to attend, sending subordinates instead. NCAA urged all airlines to respect Nigerian laws on passenger treatment as rigorously as they comply with regulations elsewhere.
The NCAA reiterated that it protects both passengers and airlines and vowed to levy appropriate penalties against those who perpetually disregard consumer protection directives.
