The airline also admitted that its initial statement on the matter was misleading.

The Kenya Airways has apologised to Nigerian passenger, Gloria Omisore, after a controversial incident that saw her stranded for hours at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

The airline also admitted that its initial statement on the matter was misleading.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had responded by initiating maximum enforcement action against Kenya Airways over multiple consumer protection violations.

James Nganga, Kenya Airways' Country Manager in Nigeria, apologised for the airline’s poor handling of the situation, acknowledging that Omisore should not have been allowed to board her flight from Lagos without a France transit visa.

The passenger was flown to Nairobi, where she endured a grueling 17-hour layover, only to be informed that she would have to wait another 10 hours before being placed on a flight to the UK.

Omisore, who was reportedly experiencing bleeding and required basic care, requested accommodation for the additional waiting period.

However, instead of addressing her needs professionally, airline staff allegedly mishandled the situation, leading to a confrontation that was captured in a viral video.

In a statement on Saturday, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, condemned Kenya Airways for failing to correct its initial official statement, which misrepresented the events.

“We put the facts of the matter to the airline and rejected the misleading official statement they issued,” Achimugu said.
“Rather than updating their statement to reflect the truth, they have allowed falsehoods to spread.”

One such falsehood, Achimugu noted, was a claim by blogger Charles Onyango-Obbo that Omisore refused an offer to fly to London.
The NCAA insisted that the passenger only became frustrated after learning that her 10-hour wait would not include accommodation.

Consumer protection advocates have criticised Kenya Airways’ handling of the incident, urging the NCAA to impose strict penalties to prevent similar occurrences.
The viral video, which showed airline staff yelling at the distressed passenger, has fueled further outrage.

“This was a bleeding woman who had already endured a 17-hour wait. She simply needed to clean up and receive some care,” Achimugu stated. “Instead, she was met with unprofessional conduct.”

According to Achimugu, "James Nganga admitted in one of the videos below, that the staff's behaviour was against airline policy.
"The writer also claimed that the meeting between my team and the airline held in Lagos. Simple research would have told him that the NCAA HQ is in Abuja. This is what happens when people are more interested in narrative-creation rather than facts. They know their audience.

He said, "Truth shouldn't be hard to tell."
However, NCAA gave the airline an opportunity to fix what was wrong. The airline has failed to do so.

"Earlier yesterday, the airline asked for an extension of one hour, after which they still failed to comply with the determination of the CAA.
"On Thursday, in a separate issue, the airline failed to send in a compliance report about a scheduled flight that was delayed for 7 hours with no compensation for the passengers.
Achimugu explained that when confronted over a phone call, the Kenya Airways team claimed ignorance of the NCAA Regulations.
"We are sending them a copy of it. But, how can you operate in a foreign country with no recourse to the relevant regulations? How is this different from those who claimed that Omisore should have known the travel documents she needed for her trip?
"To this end, we are organising a retreat for ALL airlines operating in Nigeria to learn and relearn Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023. One would expect that knowledge of all necessary regulations is essential.
He said, "Added to the other long-ignored cases read out to the KQ team that attended the meeting, the CAA is dismayed by the actions of this airline. Cases of refunds not paid, lost baggage not compensated for despite admitting to losing them, and failure to honour commitments.

"The NCAA is, therefore, initiating stiff enforcement action against Kenya Airways. This action will go through due process. I have put our legal department on notice," Achimugu added.