A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered Virgin Atlantic Airways to compensate Mrs. Joy Ezetah with $5,906.50 after the airline allegedly blocked her from boarding a scheduled flight from Lagos to London, disrupting her travel onward to Canada and triggering financial losses. In a ruling delivered on Monday, Justice Ibrahim Kala found the carrier liable for the hardship and monetary damage Ezetah said she suffered following the denial of boarding at Murtala Muhammed International Airport on April 6, 2024.
Ezetah had taken the matter to court seeking N100 million in general damages, describing a four-leg trip that began in Lagos and ended in Toronto. She said she had bought a business-class ticket through Air Canada for the entire itinerary, but was refused boarding on the Virgin Atlantic segment without a valid explanation. The claimant told the court that she arrived early, completed the check-in procedures, and received a boarding pass for the Lagos-to-London portion of her journey.
She further stated that airline personnel later refused to allow her onto the flight, arguing that her ticket details could not be matched to the connecting Air Canada flight from London to Toronto. Ezetah said she believed Virgin Atlantic owed her a duty of care and that the airline should have handled the ticketing and connection issue directly, including coordinating with Air Canada or arranging an alternative means of travel, instead of turning her away at the gate.
The plaintiff also told the court that follow-up communication with Air Canada confirmed her ticket remained valid and that she was expected to take the connecting flight. Virgin Atlantic, however, rejected responsibility. The airline argued that it was not the ticket-issuing carrier because the ticket had been purchased directly from Air Canada under a codeshare arrangement.
Virgin Atlantic also claimed a technical or system fault prevented the issuance of a boarding pass for the connecting segment, and said it responded appropriately by directing the passenger to contact the issuing airline. The carrier further contended that Ezetah’s inability to complete online check-in before reaching the airport indicated the existence of a pre-existing problem with her ticket.
After reviewing the evidence and submissions from both sides, Justice Kala ruled for the claimant, stating that Ezetah’s claims were supported. The court then awarded $5,906.50 against Virgin Atlantic, with payment to be made using the prevailing exchange rate approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Based on the official rate of N1,365.50 per $1, the judgment sum translates to roughly N8.07 million.
The judge also ordered interest of 10% per annum on the judgment amount until the liability is fully settled. In addition, Virgin Atlantic was directed to pay N5 million as litigation costs, with the court noting that Ezetah had been forced to approach the judiciary to secure enforcement of her rights.
