Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has launched an investigation into an airline following a passenger’s complaint that he began bleeding after being exposed to excessive heat inside an aircraft operating a flight from Abuja to Calabar.
The NCAA spokesperson, Michael Achimugu, disclosed this on Tuesday after passenger Bashir Usman recounted his experience on social media, alleging that the aircraft remained without functioning air conditioning or ventilation for about 50 minutes before take-off on Monday, October 26, 2026.
Usman said passengers boarded the aircraft at 12:07 pm but remained inside after the doors were shut, with the engines off and no functioning air conditioning. He said the heat became unbearable and eventually caused him to bleed.
According to Usman, the cabin crew approached him and said he would have to disembark because of the bleeding, apparently to prevent a medical emergency during the flight. He maintained that he was fine, while other passengers expressed concern and intervened on his behalf.
He said some passengers took turns fanning him, while a woman offered him her personal mini hand fan. Following their intervention, he was allowed to remain onboard.
The aircraft eventually arrived in Calabar at 2:04 pm, despite the flight having a scheduled duration of only 45 minutes. Usman described the experience as “particularly distressing” and thanked fellow passengers for their kindness and support.
In a follow-up post, Achimugu said he had spoken with Usman by phone and expressed sympathy over the incident. He added that the complaint would be forwarded to the NCAA’s Directorate of Operations, Licensing, and Training Standards for investigation.
“Now that you have also told me the name of the airline, I am escalating this to the NCAA’s Directorate of Operations, Licensing, and Training Standards, DOLTS. This is their purview,” Achimugu wrote.
He said the investigation would seek to establish why the aircraft doors were shut without functioning air conditioning or ventilation, particularly amid the extreme heat.
“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. If true, and more so because you also assert that no apology or explanation was offered by the flight crew for the duration of the delay and even after the flight arrived at the destination, then a determination would be made by that Directorate,” he stated.
However, Achimugu cautioned passengers against preventing cabin crew from carrying out their safety responsibilities, explaining that the crew might not have known the cause of Usman’s bleeding or whether he required urgent medical attention.
He said cabin crew members were expected to remain vigilant, particularly amid recent concerns over Ebola, and stressed that their primary responsibility was to protect passengers.
“Finally, passengers should understand that not everything should be approached with emotions. They cannot stop cabin crew from doing their job. That crew is there to ensure your safety, not antagonise you,” Achimugu said, adding that some captains might have refused to proceed with the flight until the passenger had undergone a proper medical check.
