The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has criticized Kenya Airways for the mistreatment of a Nigerian passenger who was stranded at Nairobi Airport. The NCAA has called on the airline to issue a public apology and compensate the passenger, Gloria Ibukun Omisore, for the distress caused by the incident.

In a statement released on Tuesday, NCAA spokesperson Michael Achimugu explained that the authority had met with Kenya Airways officials in Abuja to address the issue. The meeting followed a viral video showing a verbal exchange between Omisore and a Kenya Airways representative at the airport. In the video, the agent denied Omisore the right to board, stating that she would not be allowed to fly again, and dismissed her claims of being in communication with Nigeria’s finance minister.

According to the NCAA, the airline’s statement, which claimed Omisore had refused to be re-routed, was misleading. The authority clarified that the passenger became upset only after she was asked to wait another 10 hours without accommodation or care, despite the airline's mistake in not identifying her visa issue earlier.

The NCAA also highlighted Kenya Airways’ failure to provide the necessary care and attention to Omisore during her extended layover in Nairobi, despite it being the airline’s fault that the issue was not identified before she was flown from Lagos.

“We have mandated Kenya Airways to apologize publicly to the passenger and the NCAA, and to issue an updated statement that accurately reflects the sequence of events,” said Achimugu. The airline has also been instructed to compensate Omisore for the inconvenience and distress caused by the incident.

The NCAA further expressed concern about the airline’s staff behavior, particularly the disrespectful exchange that involved insulting Nigeria’s President. Kenya Airways’ Country Manager admitted the staff member was out of line and promised to take appropriate disciplinary action.

Despite the airline's request for additional time to review the incident, the NCAA has given Kenya Airways 48 hours to provide a satisfactory response.

The NCAA emphasized that such behavior—both from the airline and the passenger—would not be tolerated, and both parties must take responsibility for the events that transpired.