The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has commenced an investigation into British Airways following repeated delays in the airline’s departure times.
The authority also said, as part of the probe, it would inspect all aircraft on the Nigerian route for regulatory compliance under its Foreign Aircraft Safety Assessment Programme.
Mr Michael Achimugu, the spokesman of NCAA who confirmed the development said the UK flag carrier has been delaying departure for about three consecutive days since August 27th.
He said this has resulted in many inconveniences to members of the traveling public.
While addressing the British Airways issue, Achimugu said, “The NCAA has reached out to British Airways and initiated an investigation into these recurring delays. We aim to identify the underlying causes and implement necessary measures to safeguard passenger rights and prevent such incidents from happening again.”
The NCAA reassured travelers that it is committed to protecting their rights and is working diligently to eliminate unnecessary flight delays, in line with the directives of the Honourable Minister of Aviation.
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways passengers at Abuja Airport were left stranded after their flight was aborted due to a punctured tire.
According to a Qatar Airways staff member, the incident occurred as Flight QR 1432, en route to Doha, encountered a nail on the runway, which punctured one of its front tires. The airline has apologized for the inconvenience and assured passengers that emergency repairs were being completed.
One of the passengers, Mr. Umar, expressed concerns about the potential impact of the delay on his connecting flights and business commitments.
When contacted for a statement on the Qatar Airways incident, the NCAA spokesperson noted that they were not yet informed of the situation but promised to follow up on the matter.