
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued a stern warning to Qatar Airways, vowing to impose stiff sanctions on the airline for alleged mistreatment of Nigerian passengers and repeated disregard for regulatory directives.
This was disclosed on Friday by the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, in a statement released via his official X account.
According to him, Qatar Airways has violated Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations (2023), which governs consumer protection in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
Achimugu recounted a recent disturbing incident in which a Nigerian passenger, traveling with his wife from Lagos to the United States via Doha, was accused by a Qatar Airways cabin crew member of inappropriate conduct during boarding at the Lagos airport.
The allegation, however, was not reported in Nigeria. Instead, it was raised only after the aircraft landed in Doha, where the passenger was arrested, detained for 18 hours, fined, and coerced into signing a statement written exclusively in Arabic.
To make matters worse, Qatar Airways allegedly denied the passenger onward travel and forced him to purchase another ticket—causing significant financial loss and reputational damage.
“The airline, @qatarairways, has carried on as though Nigerian passengers and the NCAA are undeserving of respect, dignified treatment, and compliance with our laws. This must stop immediately,” Achimugu declared.
He emphasized that while international carriers dutifully comply with aviation regulations in Europe and other jurisdictions, many disregard Nigeria’s consumer protection rules. He warned that such discriminatory practices would no longer be tolerated.
The NCAA further revealed that Qatar Airways has ignored multiple regulatory directives, failed to respond to passenger complaints escalated by the Authority, and even snubbed an invitation for a meeting on the matter—sending junior representatives instead of its country manager.
“This behavior is contemptuous and unacceptable. Providing false information or disregarding NCAA directives is unlawful. Airlines operating in Nigeria must respect our laws just as they do elsewhere.
The bilateral air service agreements (BASAs) Nigeria signs with other nations are binding and must be upheld,” Achimugu stressed.
The statement also disclosed that Royal Air Maroc and Saudi Air have been cautioned for similar infractions and now face the prospect of heavy sanctions if they persist in flouting NCAA’s decisions.
Reiterating the NCAA’s zero tolerance stance, Achimugu affirmed that the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Captain Chris Najomo, remains unwavering in his commitment to defending Nigerian passengers and enforcing consumer protection standards.
“Our duty is to protect both passengers and airlines. But any carrier that repeatedly disrespects our regulations will face strict and appropriate penalties—without exception,” he warned.