Passenger Sues Virgin Atlantic Airways Over Lost Luggage, Breach Of Contract

A security expert, Alhaji Ahmed Rabiu, has dragged Virgin Atlantic Airways before the Federal High Court in Lagos for alleged breach of contract and the loss of his luggage on board its London to Lagos flight on September 24, 2024.

Rabiu is demanding $4000 for the value of the items contained in the Plaintiff’s stolen luggage and N20 million as damages for the distress, inconvenience, and solicitors’ fees incurred in recovering the luggage.

In an affidavit filed supporting the suit, the passenger averred that he boarded flight No. CNY3JV from London-Heathrow, United Kingdom, to Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos after undergoing rigorous security checks. The Defendant’s operational staff properly checked him in, along with his tagged prime luggage.

But after the plane landed in Lagos, he waited at the conveyor belt from when the baggage carousel was activated until it was switched off. That while every other passenger on the Defendant’s flight picked up their luggage and left except him, who became devastated.

The plaintiff also maintained that he immediately informed the defendant’s staff on the ground. He was given the defendant’s Loss of Baggage Form to fill out and submit, which he did immediately, but the airline neither gave the plaintiff his luggage nor replaced the same or, better still, paid for the value of the contents of his luggage.

The plaintiff claimed that he was devastated by the fraudulent action of the defendant’s relevant operational staff or their recklessness or negligence, which led to the disappearance of his newly bought bag. The bag was used to warehouse all the plaintiff’s purchases in London and properly received and tagged in an accident-free flight that landed in Lagos on schedule. Virgin Atlantic Airways had not responded to the suit.

Justice Alexander Owoeye has fixed February 10 for the hearing of the case.