Saturday, September 20, 2025 - The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has accused Qatar Airways of mistreating Nigerian passengers and failing to comply with consumer protection regulations under Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
The regulator threatened stiff penalties against the airline
for repeatedly disregarding its directives.
The disclosure was contained in a statement by Michael
Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, via his
official X account on Friday
According to Achimugu, the most recent
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 financial
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 said it invited Qatar Airways’ country manager to a
meeting over the incident, but he failed to attend, sending subordinates
instead.
The authority further noted 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.
He also revealed that Royal Air Maroc and Saudi Air have
been cautioned for similar infractions and risk heavy sanctions if they fail to
comply with the regulator’s decisions.
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