British Airways barred 58 Abuja–London passengers from boarding on Friday due to a faulty aircraft door, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirmed.
The NCAA’s Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, explained on X that safety rules required airlines to keep seats around the faulty door vacant.
“The problem was a faulty door, so the surrounding seats had to remain empty for safety. This meant denying 58 passengers boarding this morning,” he stated.
The airline provided hotel accommodation, with 28 passengers choosing to return home and 30 accepting the stay. Achimugu noted that affected travellers could claim compensation and would be airlifted the following morning.
He urged passengers in similar situations to contact NCAA Consumer Protection Officers at the terminal to ensure their rights to care are upheld in the event of flight delays.
Although the move followed standard safety protocol, one X user urged the NCAA to inspect the interiors of aircraft foreign airlines operate in Nigeria, criticising the service quality despite high ticket costs.