Court Orders Virgin Atlantic to Pay N13M for Missed Flight

On April 6, 2024, the Federal High Court in Lagos, presided over by Justice Ibrahim Kala, ruled that Virgin Atlantic Airways must pay Mr. Joi Ezetah N13 million for damages resulting from the airline's failure to allow her to board a scheduled flight from Lagos to London.

Ezetah, who had purchased a business class ticket for a four-leg trip to Toronto, argued that she arrived early and completed the check-in process, but was denied boarding without justification. The airline contended that her ticket was not valid for the connecting flight to Canada, as it was purchased directly from Air Canada under a codeshare arrangement.

However, the court found that the airline had a duty of care to resolve the issue and that Ezetah's ticket was indeed valid. The court awarded her N5,906,500 in damages, translating to approximately N8.07 million at the current exchange rate, and ordered Virgin Atlantic to pay 10% interest per annum on the judgment sum until fully liquidated, along with N5 million in costs.