By Emmanuel Nduka
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has called on Kenya Airways to address an incident involving a Nigerian passenger, which gained widespread attention on social media.
The incident, captured in a viral video, shows a heated confrontation between the passenger and a Kenya Airways staff member at the airline’s transfer desk in Nairobi.
The conflict arose after the Nigerian traveler, Gloria Omisore, accused the airline of mistreating her during a long layover. The airline, in turn, criticized her behavior, claiming she threw three used sanitary pads at staff members after becoming upset with her treatment.
The video, which surfaced on social media on Sunday, shows Omisore, who was en route from Lagos to Paris and Manchester via Nairobi, expressing frustration about her 17-hour layover.
She can be heard demanding basic needs, including sanitary towels and a hotel room. “You will provide a sanitary towel. I am speaking to the Minister of Finance of Nigeria. I want a hotel, I need sanitary towel. You will give me food tonight. Very wicked set of people. 17 hours layover. I have blood clot issues,” she said in the video.
In response, a Kenya Airways staff member tells Omisore, “You can never enter our aircraft again. What kind of mannerism is this? Call your president. We will give you nothing.”
Following the release of the video, Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection at the NCAA, expressed concern over both the passenger’s and airline staff’s conduct. On social media, he said: “There is no excuse for unruly passenger behavior. The airline staff were unprofessional. The airline must take responsibility for this incident. The NCAA has referred Kenya Airways to Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023, and the airline has been summoned to our headquarters in Abuja today, Monday, February 3, 2025.”
In a statement, Kenya Airways provided context to the incident, explaining that Omisore, traveling from Lagos to Paris and Manchester, was denied boarding for her connecting flight in Nairobi due to a lack of the required SCHENGEN Visa to enter the European Union. The airline offered an alternative route through London, which Omisore declined.
The airline further explained that while they did not provide accommodation in this situation, as the denial of boarding was due to the passenger’s documentation issues, the passenger’s actions—throwing used sanitary pads at staff—were unacceptable.
Kenya Airways also emphasized that it is the responsibility of passengers to ensure they have the necessary travel documents for their journey.
