Actress flays airline after being stranded in Ekiti for 24 hours

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued a stern warning to domestic airlines against persistent flight delays and cancellations, saying it will push for stiffer penalties against operators.

Spokesperson for the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, yesterday, said while the Federal Government has consistently supported airlines in the face of industry challenges, recent events have made it necessary to impose heavier ramifications where poor operational performance persists.

Achimugu, who spoke on X, formerly Twitter, said that while the majority of flight disruptions are not caused by the airlines, there is a need for airlines to improve communication during flight disruptions.

This comes as an actress and filmmaker, Bolaji Ogunmola, has criticised an airline for leaving her stranded at the Ekiti State airport for more than 24 hours, a disruption, she said, caused her to miss the first day of her N20 million film production.

In a video shared on Instagram, Ogunmola described how repeated flight delays, cancellations, and rescheduling derailed her plans and left her in distress.

“I’m still at the airport by the way, and I’ve cried my eyes out this morning. I’m in Ekiti. I’m still here because I’m on set this morning, and it’s the first day of TOC’s production. I have actors on set. I booked a restaurant. I booked everything, and I’m still here. I spent over N15 to 20 million trying to produce this film,” she said.

Ogunmola recounted that she arrived at the airport on Wednesday for a scheduled flight to Lagos but was first informed of a delay before the airline eventually cancelled the flight, leaving her stranded overnight.

“I was supposed to fly yesterday, and they told me when I got to the airport that something happened. It was delayed. After a while, they said they were not flying again and cancelled the flight. I said, okay, you cancelled the flight. What is the plan? I need to get to Lagos,” she recounted.

According to her, she spent the night at a motel and returned yesterday morning, facing further delays.