Shortly after a similar move by India — a step that was expected to encourage other affected countries to take similar action — the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority imposed a financial penalty on Saudia Airlines over its repeated violations of the rights of Nigerian passengers, including:
▪️ Failure to comply with consumer protection rules.
▪️ Ignoring passenger complaints despite repeated warnings from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
▪️ Ignoring correspondence from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
▪️ Cancelling the flights of more than 400 Nigerian pilgrims without prior notice, without explaining the reason for the cancellation before, during or after the decision, and leaving the pilgrims stranded on the street for around four days without any rights or attention.
▪️ Failing to respect Nigerian people and treating them with racism and contempt.
Michael Achimugu, the authority’s Director General, confirmed the fine imposed on Saudia Airlines in a post on his official X account, which was widely reported by Nigerian media outlets.