The law firm Sovereignty Legal Practitioners has threatened to initiate a class action lawsuit against British Airways, citing ongoing inhumane treatment of Nigerian passengers by the airline.
In a pre-action letter dated August 30, 2024, Principal Partner Ife Ajayi condemned the frequent disruptions of scheduled flights to Nigeria, attributing them to the airline’s alleged use of faulty and substandard aircraft on Nigerian routes.
The firm warned that it would proceed with a class action lawsuit if these practices were not addressed.
The letter, which was sent to the Customer Relations Department of British Airways in London, was also copied to several key Nigerian authorities, including the Nigerian Aviation Ministry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Chairman of the National Assembly, the British Embassy, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN,.
In the letter, the law firm highlighted the severe hardship endured by hundreds of Nigerian passengers due to frequent delays and cancellations caused by technical issues with the aircraft used on Nigerian routes.
The firm referenced an incident on August 29, 2024, at Heathrow Airport, where Nigerian passengers on an Abuja-bound British Airways flight were disembarked after a three-hour check-in process and subsequently placed in low-class hotels without any clear information on their departure date or time.
“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 aircraft,” the letter reads.
“For instance, within the two weeks of the month of August 2024, checked in Nigerian passengers (our clients) have been disembarked after three to four hours after boarding, due to technical failures prior to departure.
‘’Most vexatious is the Heathrow Airport experience of 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.”
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.
(allnews.ng)
Leave a Reply