A law firm, Sovereignty Legal Practitioners, has threatened to file a class action against British Airways over the systematic inhuman treatment of Nigerian passengers using the airline.
In a pre-action letter to the airline dated August 30, 2024, and signed by its Principal Partner, Ife Ajayi, the law firm decried the persistent disruption of scheduled flights to Nigeria as a result of the airline's alleged deployment of faulty and substandard aircrafts to Nigerian routes and noted that it would file a class action against the airline if the practice is not checkmated.
The letter addressed to the Customer Relations department of the airline in London, was also forwarded to the Nigerian Aviation Ministry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chairman of National Assembly, British Embassy, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN.
In the letter, the firm noted that hundreds of Nigerian passengers have experienced untold hardship following frequent delays and cancellations of their flights due to technical faults of the aircrafts used on the Nigerian routes.
It recalled an August 29, 2024 incident at Heathrow Airport where Nigerians in an Abuja bound British Airways flight were disembarked after three hours of check -in and later crammed in low class without any definite date or time of departure to their destination.
"Specifically, there have been multiple instances where our clients, that is - 'Nigerian passengers' have experienced significant delays and disruptions due to the use of faulty or substandard aircrafts," the letter reads.
Continuing, it stated: "For instance within the two weeks of the month of August 2024, checked in Nigerian passengers (our clients) have been disembarked after 3 to 4 hours after boarding, due to technical failures prior to departure.
"Most vexatious is the Heathrow Airport experience of Thursday August 29, 2024 where Abuja-bound passengers were disembarked after three hours of check -in without knowledge of when their Airline would be able to airlift them.
"These frequent technical faults raise safety concerns, traumatize passengers particularly children and create the impression of routes not worthy of respect.
"As at today, those Abuja bound passengers most of whom are Nigerians are crammed in low class hotels without any definite date or time of departure to Abuja. These actions have caused severe economic losses and untold health hazards on our clients.
"This has not only caused undue inconvenience, but has also raised serious safety concerns among our clients. It is disheartening to observe that, while British Airways continues to use modern, well-maintained aircrafts for flights to other countries, Nigerian routes seem to be plagued with aircrafts that are technically challenged and prone to faults.
"Surprisingly, Nigerian routes are the most expensive when compared to other international routes, yet our clients are being maltreated and disrespected repeatedly.
"Such a discrepancy in service quality is unacceptable and sends a troubling message to our clients, that their safety and comfort are not as valuable to your airline as those of passengers from other countries. As a globally recognized airline, you should uphold the highest standards of safety and service for all your passengers, regardless of their origin or destination.
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"We therefore, urge you to take immediate action to rectify this situation. You must either commit to deploying better, fully functional aircrafts on your Nigerian routes or consider discontinuing services to Nigeria if you cannot ensure the safety and comfort of your passengers. It is crucial for you to respect all your customers equally and not compromise the integrity of your operations for any reason."
The law firm also demanded compensation for the passenger's poor treatment and noted that it would file a class action against the airline if the compensations are not made. "In the circumstance, we also demand adequate monetary compensation and damages for our clients for the untold hardship they have been subjected to, due to several delays and cancellation of flights. If these steps are not taken, we shall file a class action against you on behalf of our clients," he concluded.
