The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has launched an investigation into a passenger’s complaint that excessive heat and poor ventilation aboard a flight from Abuja to Calabar allegedly caused him to bleed.
The authority’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, confirmed that the complaint had been referred to the Directorate of Operations, Licensing and Training Standards for investigation.
The complaint followed a post on X by a passenger, Bashir Usman, who alleged that passengers were left inside the aircraft for approximately 50 minutes after the doors were shut, without the engines running or the air conditioning functioning.
According to Usman, the conditions became increasingly uncomfortable, with the heat eventually becoming unbearable and causing him to start bleeding.
In his account, he said passengers boarded the aircraft at 12:07 p.m. and remained inside for about 50 minutes under the reported conditions before the flight eventually arrived in Calabar at 2:04 p.m. on Monday.
Usman described the experience as distressing, particularly given that the flight was expected to last approximately 45 minutes.
“We boarded at 12:07 p.m. After the aircraft doors were shut, we remained onboard for about 50 minutes without the engines running and, sadly, without functioning air conditioning. The heat became unbearable, and I eventually started bleeding,” he wrote.
He further alleged that some crew members approached him following the bleeding and informed him that he would have to leave the aircraft. However, he maintained that he was fine.
The NCAA’s decision to refer the complaint for investigation is expected to help establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine whether any operational or passenger-safety procedures were breached.
The authority is yet to announce the outcome of its investigation.