Virgin Atlantic damages ruling sees a Lagos court award over $5,900 and N5m costs to a passenger denied boarding on a Lagos-London flight

Justice Ibrahim Kala of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited to pay Mrs Joy Ezetah $5,906.50 in damages after the airline prevented her from boarding a scheduled Lagos-London flight, disrupting her onward journey to Canada and causing financial losses.

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In the judgment delivered on Monday, Justice Kala held that Virgin Atlantic was liable for the losses suffered by Mrs Ezetah following the boarding denial at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on April 6, 2024.

The claimant had sought 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 justification.

According to court documents, Mrs Ezetah arrived at the airport on time, completed check-in formalities and was issued a boarding pass for the Lagos-London segment of the trip.

She told the court that airline officials later denied her access to the aircraft after claiming they could not link her reservation to the connecting Air Canada flight from London to Toronto.

Mrs Ezetah argued that the airline owed her a duty of care and should have resolved the issue directly with Air Canada or provided an alternative solution rather than refusing her boarding.

She further stated that Air Canada subsequently confirmed her ticket was valid and that she had been expected on the connecting flight.

Virgin Atlantic denied liability during the proceedings, maintaining that it was not the issuing carrier and that the ticket had been purchased directly from Air Canada under a codeshare arrangement.

The airline also argued that a reservation system error prevented it from issuing a boarding pass for the connecting flight. It maintained that its staff acted professionally by advising the passenger to contact the issuing airline for assistance.

Virgin Atlantic further contended that Mrs Ezetah’s inability to complete online check-in before arriving at the airport suggested there had already been issues with the booking.

After reviewing the evidence and legal arguments presented by both parties, Justice Kala found in favour of the claimant, concluding that her case had merit.

Under the Virgin Atlantic damages ruling, the court awarded Mrs Ezetah $5,906.50, directing that the amount be converted and paid using the prevailing exchange rate published by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

At the highest official exchange rate of N1,365.50 to the dollar, the award amounts to approximately N8.07 million.

The court also ordered Virgin Atlantic to pay interest at the rate of 10 per cent per annum on the judgment sum until the debt is fully settled.

In addition, Justice Kala awarded N5 million in legal costs against the airline, noting that the claimant was compelled to seek judicial intervention to enforce her rights.

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The Virgin Atlantic damages ruling is expected to draw attention to passenger rights and airline responsibilities under international travel and consumer protection frameworks, particularly in cases involving denied boarding and codeshare flight arrangements.