Breach Of Contract: Court Fixes Nov 12 For Suit Against Virgin Atlantic Airways

Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court in Lagos will hear a suit filed by a security expert, Alhaji Ahmed Rabiu, against Virgin Atlantic Airways over alleged breach of contract and the loss of his luggage on November 12.

Originally scheduled for Wednesday, the hearing was adjourned because Justice Owoeye did not sit. The court registrars informed the parties in the suit that the judge was attending a conference outside the state.

In the suit, Rabiu is seeking $4,000 to cover the value of items lost in his luggage, as well as N20 million in damages for distress, inconvenience, and legal fees incurred while attempting to recover his luggage, which allegedly disappeared on a Virgin Atlantic Airways flight from London to Lagos on September 24, 2024.

The plaintiff had also informed the court that, contrary to the airline’s claims, he had neither been compensated for his lost luggage nor replaced it.

In his statement of claim, he also argued that his lawsuit is valid and well-founded, as the defendant has not denied that he lost his luggage while using their airline.

In its defence, the airline blamed its inability to trace and locate the plaintiff’s luggage on his failure to provide adequate information on the Property Irregularity Form, which he was given after reporting the loss.

The defendant also stated in its statement of defence that the plaintiff’s allegations of fraud, recklessness, and negligence against the airline, its staff, and its agents are false.

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 in, along with his tagged prime luggage.