NCAA probes airline as passenger reports bleeding on Abuja-Calabar flight

The regulator says it will investigate claims that passengers spent about 50 minutes inside an aircraft without functioning air conditioning before a passenger began bleeding.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has launched an investigation into a passenger’s complaint that poor ventilation and excessive heat aboard a flight from Abuja to Calabar left him bleeding.

The complaint followed a post on X by a passenger, Bashir Usman, who said travellers spent about 50 minutes inside the aircraft after its doors were shut, without the engines running or functioning air conditioning.

Mr Usman said the heat became unbearable and he began bleeding before the aircraft eventually arrived in Calabar at 2:04 p.m. on Monday.

He explained that the flight had been scheduled to last about 45 minutes, describing the experience as distressing.

“We boarded at 12:07 p.m. After the aircraft doors were shut, we remained onboard for about 50 minutes without the engines running and, sadly, without functioning air conditioning. The heat became unbearable, and I eventually started bleeding,” he wrote.

Mr Usman added that members of the crew approached him and told him he would have to leave the aircraft because of the bleeding, but he maintained that he was fine.

He credited fellow passengers with supporting him during the incident, saying some took turns fanning him while one woman offered him her personal mini fan.

According to him, the passengers also expressed concern about the heat and the lack of ventilation, after which he was allowed to remain on board.

Mr Usman later thanked those who had travelled with him on the Abuja-Calabar flight on 26 October for their support.

In a response on X, Mr Achimugu said he had spoken with Mr Usman by telephone and expressed sympathy over his experience.

He said the passenger had provided the airline’s name and that the complaint would be referred to the NCAA’s Directorate of Operations, Licensing and Training Standards.

“We would like to know why the aircraft, in this season of extreme heat, had its door shut and no air conditioning/ventilation, according to your account of the incident,” Mr Achimugu wrote.

He said the authority would determine the appropriate action if the passenger’s account was established.

Mr Achimugu also questioned whether the airline’s crew had offered an explanation or apology for the reported conditions during the delay and after the aircraft arrived in Calabar.

However, the NCAA official cautioned passengers against preventing cabin crew from carrying out their safety responsibilities.

He said the crew might not have known the cause of Mr Usman’s bleeding and could have been concerned that he required medical attention.

Mr Achimugu said the crew had to consider the safety of all passengers and could not be expected to assume that the bleeding was harmless.

He also said the recent Ebola scare underscored the need for cabin crew to remain vigilant when a passenger displayed symptoms that could require medical attention.

The regulator’s comments did not establish the name of the airline, whether the aircraft’s air conditioning system had failed, and why the passengers remained onboard for the reported period.

The NCAA is responsible for regulating civil aviation in Nigeria, including overseeing airline operations and protecting passengers’ interests.

Its Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, particularly Part 19, set out passengers’ rights and responsibilities as well as airlines’ obligations to travellers.

The authority has previously intervened in complaints involving flight disruptions and airlines’ handling of passengers.

In September, it directed United Nigeria Airlines to improve its operations and comply with passenger-rights requirements following concerns about flight disruptions and communication with travellers.

The NCAA has also yet to announce the outcome of its investigation or any action against the airline.