The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has launched an investigation into reports of poor ventilation aboard an airline operating a flight from Abuja to Calabar after a passenger said he began bleeding due to excessive heat inside the aircraft.
The NCAA spokesperson disclosed this on Tuesday following a social media post by Bashir Usman, who described his experience on the flight on Monday, October 26, 2026. Usman said passengers remained inside the aircraft for about 50 minutes after boarding at 12:07 p.m., without the engines running or functioning air conditioning.
According to Usman, the heat became unbearable, causing him to start bleeding. He said the cabin crew initially wanted him to disembark because of the bleeding, but fellow passengers expressed concern, fanned him and helped persuade the crew to allow him to remain onboard.
The passenger said the aircraft eventually arrived in Calabar at 2:04 p.m., despite the flight having a scheduled duration of just 45 minutes. He described the experience as distressing and thanked fellow travellers who supported him during the incident.
Following a telephone conversation with Usman, the NCAA spokesperson said he would refer the complaint to the authority’s Directorate of Operations, Licensing and Training Standards for investigation. He said the agency would seek to establish why the aircraft doors were shut without functioning air conditioning or ventilation, if the passenger’s account was confirmed.
The spokesperson also said the authority would examine the reported lack of an apology or explanation from the crew over the delay. However, he defended the crew’s decision to consider removing Usman, explaining that cabin crew members were responsible for passenger safety and might not have known the cause of his bleeding.
He further cautioned passengers against preventing cabin crew from performing their duties, noting that crew members must respond to possible medical emergencies. He said the captain could have insisted on the passenger’s removal for a medical assessment before proceeding with the flight.
