The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced a N5 million penalty against Qatar Airways for violations of consumer protection rules.
The fine followed an incident involving a Nigerian passenger who was accused of sexual harassment by a cabin crew member while boarding a flight in Lagos bound for the United States via Doha.
The passenger was later detained in Doha for 18 hours, fined, and forced to sign a document in Arabic, with Qatar Airways refusing to allow him to continue his journey unless he purchased another ticket.
Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, confirmed the sanction on X.
He stated that further investigations into other complaints could lead to additional penalties if the airline fails to comply.
He criticised the airline for sending subordinates instead of attending a meeting in person.
Achimugu emphasised that airlines operating in Nigeria were required to respect consumer protection regulations, even if similar rules do not exist in their home countries.
The NCAA had previously warned Qatar Airways in September about mishandling Nigerian passengers and ignoring Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023, signaling that non-compliance would attract strict consequences.
