British Airways on Friday, August 15, 2025, denied 58 passengers boarding on its Abuja-London flight over a faulty door.
Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu, who confirmed the development in a post on his X handle, said the airline had to keep some seats unoccupied for safety reasons.
“British Airways discovered that some of the seats on their aircraft were bad. As a result, they had to deny 58 passengers boarding this morning.
“Hotel accommodation has been provided, and 28 passengers opted to return home, while 30 accepted the offer.
“Affected passengers can file for compensation. Arrangements are being made to airlift them tomorrow morning.
“May I say this: The first resort in situations like this is to locate the NCAA Consumer Protection Officers at the terminal, and they will ensure that your right to care is protected (if the airline delays),” he wrote.
“UPDATE: The actual problem was a faulty door. So, the seats around the door had to be kept unoccupied for SAFETY REASONS.”
