British Airways Denies Boarding to 58 Passengers Over Faulty Door on Abuja London Flight

British Airways on Friday denied boarding to 58 passengers scheduled for its Abuja–London flight after a faulty aircraft door forced the airline to leave some seats unoccupied for safety reasons.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirmed the development, stating that the move was taken in line with aviation safety protocols.

Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection at NCAA, Mr. Michael Achimugu, disclosed the details in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.

“As a result of the faulty door, they had to deny 58 passengers boarding this morning,” Achimugu said. “Hotel accommodation has been provided, and 28 passengers opted to return home, while 30 accepted the offer. Affected passengers can file for compensation, and arrangements are being made to airlift them tomorrow morning.”

He further advised travellers that in such situations, “the first resort is to locate the NCAA Consumer Protection Officers at the terminal, and they will ensure that your right to care is protected if the airline delays.”

The incident has drawn criticism from affected travellers, with one social media user, @NewDawnNaija23, lamenting, “Not nice at all despite the huge amount of money that they charge.”

British Airways has yet to issue an official statement on the matter as arrangements continue to reschedule the affected passengers.