British Airways has denied 58 Abuja–London-bound passengers boarding over a faulty aircraft door, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said on Friday.
In a statement on X, the NCAA’s Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said safety concerns required airlines to leave some seats vacant.
“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,” he said.
“Hotel accommodation has been provided, and 28 passengers opted to return home, while 30 accepted the offer.
“Affected passengers can file for compensation. Arrangements are being made to airlift them tomorrow morning,” he added.