The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has confirmed that British Airways denied boarding to 58 Abuja–London passengers on Friday due to a faulty aircraft door.
In a statement posted on X, NCAA’s Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, explained that the safety protocol required several seats near the affected door to remain empty.
“The actual problem was a faulty door. So, the seats around the door had to be kept unoccupied for safety reasons. As a result, they had to deny 58 passengers boarding this morning,” Achimugu said.
According to him, the airline provided hotel accommodation for stranded travellers, with 30 passengers accepting the offer while 28 opted to return home. He added that arrangements had been made to airlift them on Saturday morning, and affected passengers were entitled to claim compensation.
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Achimugu also urged air travellers to seek assistance from NCAA Consumer Protection Officers stationed at terminals whenever flight disruptions occur.
While the move was standard aviation safety practice, some passengers expressed frustration over aircraft conditions. One X user, @NewDawnNaija23, criticised the quality of planes deployed to Nigeria by foreign airlines, noting: “Not nice at all despite the huge amount of money that they charge.”
