$5,906 damages: Lagos court rules against virgin atlantic in boarding dispute
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered Virgin Atlantic Airways to pay Mrs Joy Ezetah damages amounting to $5,906.50 after the airline allegedly prevented her from boarding a scheduled Lagos-to-London flight, leading to disruptions in her onward journey to Canada and causing financial losses.
Justice Ibrahim Kala, in a judgment delivered on Monday, held that the airline was responsible for the hardship and losses suffered by the claimant after she was denied boarding at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on April 6, 2024.
Ezetah had approached the court seeking N100 million in general damages, arguing that she purchased a business-class ticket through Air Canada for a four-leg journey between Lagos and Toronto but was stopped from boarding the Virgin Atlantic flight without valid justification.
She told the court that she arrived at the airport early, completed the check-in process and was issued a boarding pass for the Lagos-London segment of the trip.
According to her, officials of the airline later denied her access to the flight on the grounds that her ticket could not be linked to the connecting Air Canada flight from London to Toronto.
The claimant argued that Virgin Atlantic owed her a duty of care and should have resolved the issue directly with Air Canada or made alternative travel arrangements instead of refusing her boarding.
She further informed the court that subsequent communication with Air Canada confirmed that her ticket remained valid and that she was expected on the connecting flight.
Virgin Atlantic, however, denied responsibility, maintaining that it was not the issuing carrier because the ticket was purchased directly from Air Canada under a codeshare arrangement.
The airline also argued that a system error prevented the issuance of a boarding pass for the connecting flight and stated that it acted appropriately by advising the passenger to contact the issuing airline.
It further contended that the claimant’s inability to complete online check-in before arriving at the airport indicated that there had already been an issue with the ticket.
After considering the evidence and legal arguments presented by both parties, Justice Kala ruled in favour of the claimant, holding that her case was substantiated.
The court consequently awarded $5,906.50 against Virgin Atlantic, directing that the amount be paid using the prevailing exchange rate approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Based on the official exchange rate of N1,365.50 to one dollar, the award amounts to approximately N8.07 million.
The judge also ordered the airline to pay interest at the rate of 10 per cent per annum on the judgment sum until the debt is fully settled.
The court also awarded N5 million in litigation costs against the airline, noting that the claimant had to seek judicial intervention to enforce her rights.
Text except headline courtesy of Dailypost
