British Airways on Friday morning offloaded 58 passengers from its Abuja-London flight after a fault was discovered on the aircraft.
The problem meant that some seats could not be used, forcing the airline to reduce the number of passengers it could take on board.
The disruption saw 30 passengers accept hotel accommodation provided by the airline, while 28 chose to return home. The airline said arrangements had been made to fly the affected travellers the following morning.
Confirming the incident, Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), said in an X post that the affected travellers were entitled to seek redress from the airline.
He explained that the “affected passengers can file for compensation”.
“Arrangements are being made to airlift them tomorrow morning,” he said.
“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).”
In a later clarification posted on his X handle, Achimugu said the seating problem was linked to a technical safety issue.
He stated, “The actual problem was a faulty door. So, the seats around the door had to be kept unoccupied for safety reasons.”
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