News
British Airways Denies Over 50 Passengers from Boarding Abuja to London Flight
There was confusion and anger at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport after more than 50 passengers were stopped from boarding a British Airways flight to London. Many of them had valid tickets and had already checked in, but were told at the gate that there was no space on the aircraft.
The incident has been linked to overbooking, a practice where airlines sell more tickets than available seats in anticipation of no-shows. While it’s common in the aviation industry, it often sparks outrage when paying customers are left stranded. Some passengers described the experience as humiliating, saying there was little explanation from the airline and no immediate assistance provided.
Travel experts note that passengers in such situations may be entitled to compensation and care, especially on long international routes. In Europe, for example, airlines are required to provide meals, hotel accommodation if needed, and financial payouts when passengers are denied boarding without consent. Although Nigeria operates outside the EU, campaigners argue that foreign carriers flying in and out of the country should still respect global standards.
Recently, British Airways has faced growing criticism in Nigeria.
Travellers have raised concerns about repeated delays, sudden cancellations, and what some describe as poor handling of customers. A local law firm even threatened legal action against the airline earlier this year over claims of “inhuman treatment” of Nigerian passengers. The aviation regulator in Abuja has also opened inquiries into the airline’s operations.
Airlines defend overbooking as a way of keeping fares affordable, but for passengers who end up missing flights, the impact can be financially draining and emotionally exhausting. Families miss connections, business travellers lose opportunities, and tourists are left stranded far from their destinations.
For now, the stranded Abuja passengers are demanding answers and proper compensation. The incident has once again raised bigger questions about how international airlines treat Nigerian travellers, and whether regulators need to step in more firmly to protect passenger rights.
TV anchor Rufai Oseni makes headlines as he speaks on fuel subsidy in Nigeria. He shared that Nigeria can have fuel subsidy without the long queues at filling stations.
“When we were still paying subsidies, there were no long queues. We were subsidising. So you can still have a subsidy regime going on, and there will be no long queues because production was close by. Dangote had it. That’s just it. That argument also falls flat.
“The biggest beneficiaries of subsidy are not Nigerians. They are crony capitalists that have big infrastructure, and they do contracts. They have been the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidy,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, speaks to those in the electricity sector about the usual blackouts in the state.
He speaks on ways things can change in the state and how electricity can be provided.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector.”
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralised, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” Sanwo-Olu asked.
“We take two steps forward, we go five steps backward,” he said.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Thursday, August 20, a work-free day for public servants in the state to mark the Isese Festival.
Speaking on the celebration, he said “Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He added “When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.
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