Qatar Airways ordered to refund passenger's fare

A tribunal has ordered Qatar Airways to refund a Kenyan passenger Sh172,650 after she was denied entry into Cyprus for lack of a visa.

On July 3, 2022, Nelly Chepkorir boarded the airline at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Ankara for her daughter's graduation.

However, after a short stop at Doha, the airline refused to allow her to board the plane to Ankara, Cyprus saying she did not have a visa.

The airline later repatriated her to Kenya on account that she did not possess a valid visa to enter Cyprus.

In its ruling, the National Civil Aviation Administrative Review Tribunal directed the Airline to return the money for the air ticket to Chekpkorir.

The tribunal led by Njaramba Gichuki, Valentine Khaminwa, Hassan Issack Hache, John Kiplagat Kiili and John Ekale Aruma questioned why the airline failed to provide documents to show that Chepkorir needed a visa.

"The Complainant did not utilize the ticket she had purchased from the Respondent (Qatar Airways) for the intended purpose. For this reason, the Complainant is entitled to get back the purchase price of the aborted journey. This amounts to Sh172,650," said Gichuki.

The tribunal said a contract had been established between Chepkorir and Qatar upon the purchase of the air ticket.

Gichuki faulted the airline for failure to ascertain whether Kenyan nationals travelling to Cyprus needed a visa or not, even for the purpose of its future engagement with customers.

Chepkorir purchased air tickets from Quarter Airways on July 1, 2022, for travel on July 3, 2022 from Nairobi to Cyprus through Doha and Ankara to Ercan International Airport to attend her daughter's graduation on July 6, 2022.

She said that the Cyprus Consulate and Kenyan embassy informed her that the Kenyan Passport allowed her to procure a Cyprus Visa upon arrival.

Chepkorir maintained that she did not need a visa to travel to Cyprus and that Qatar Airways confirmed that they had erroneously denied her to travel and guaranteed she would be allowed to travel later that night.

However, the airline did not allow her to travel back and neglected to provide her with accommodation, food, and transport services during her entire ordeal in Doha and her repatriation to Kenya.

She made alternative travel arrangements with Turkish Airlines and secured a return ticket to travel through Istanbul to Cyprus and arrived on July 6, 2022, for her daughter's graduation ceremony.

Chepkorir said while travelling with Turkish Airlines she was allowed to enter North Cyprus on the basis of her Kenyan passport and subsequently allowed to procure a visa upon arrival.

In her suit, she sought for Sh432,923.29 as damages and cost of the suit.

In their defense, Qatar Airways said Chepkorir did not have the required visa to enter Cyprus, and she was obligated to procure all the necessary travel documents, including the visas.

Qatar's Airport Services Manager, Andrew Chipkule Murunga, said that the airline cannot be blamed for Chepkorir's failure to procure the necessary travel documents and that Chepkorir is not entitled to damages.