By Alexis Uchendu
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has clarified that its recent sanctions against five airlines—Royal Air Maroc, Ethiopian Airways, Air Peace, Arik Air, and Aero Contractors—were based on consumer protection violations, contrary to speculations of safety concerns.
Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, explained that the sanctions were due to the airlines’ failure to comply with refund timelines stipulated in Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
The authority had warned airlines against delaying refunds and promised to enforce penalties for non-compliance.
Acting Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, convened an emergency stakeholder meeting to address flight delays and cancellations.
He urged airlines to match their operations with available aircraft capacity and resolve consumer complaints promptly.
Reacting to the sanctions, Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace, admitted lapses in refund processing and assured the public of improved response times to passenger concerns.
Achimugu dismissed reports linking the sanctions to safety issues, reiterating that the NCAA’s primary focus is protecting consumer rights.
He affirmed the authority’s commitment to fair and efficient aviation regulation.
