Why British Airways unboarded 58 passengers on Abuja/London flight — NCAA

Dozens of passengers were left stranded, Friday morning after a British Airways (BA) flight they were to board, denied them flight due to faulty seats

58 passengers were affected, causing bitterness and expressions of disappointment among the passengers that could not make the flight

The situation was aggravated because the airline’s decision, was taken shortly before departure, forcing these aggrieved to have no option than to shelve the trip.

Many of the disappointed passenger could not hide their anger as they recount the loss they would incur as a result of the hish-hush flight reschedule

Some said they were heading for urgent business engagements, while others had already made non-refundable arrangements at their destinations.

According to Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), British Airways provided hotel accommodation to affected travelers, with 30 passengers accepting the offer while 28 opted to return home.

The airline promised to airlift them on the following day (Saturday morning).

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Achimugu said the passengers are entitled to file for compensation, noting that such incidents highlight the importance of immediately contacting NCAA Consumer Protection Officers at the terminal to ensure travellers’ rights are upheld in cases of delays or cancellations.

While British Airways has yet to issue a public explanation beyond the seating fault, many of those affected say the late discovery of the problem could have been avoided with better pre-flight checks, sparing them the inconvenience and financial setbacks they now face.