The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has reiterated that airline passengers are entitled to ticket refunds within 14 days of flight cancellation, in accordance with its consumer protection regulations.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise programme on Saturday, NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, emphasised that the regulatory body is committed to safeguarding passenger rights.

“For refund of tickets not purchased by cash, an airline has 14 days to pay,” Achimugu said. “If the airline fails to process within the stipulated timeframe, sanctions will follow.”

The reminder comes amid growing public complaints over frequent flight delays and cancellations.

While acknowledging the volume of complaints, Achimugu clarified that not all disruptions are the airline’s fault.

“Air Peace operates more flights than probably all other domestic airlines combined,” he noted. “Naturally, their disruption rate is higher. However, the NCAA has a duty to hold them accountable where they are at fault.”

Achimugu added that the NCAA has advised operators to cut down on routes when aircraft availability is limited, rather than overselling tickets for flights they may not be able to honour.

“If you are operating five aircraft and two develop faults, then you must reduce the number of flights for that day,” he said. “Do not sell tickets to destinations you might not fly.”

He warned that airlines failing to adjust their operations accordingly or repeatedly breaching consumer protection regulations would face stiffer penalties this year.

Flight Disruptions

On Friday, the NCAA summoned Air Peace over its chronic delays and cancellations that have continued to inconvenience passengers.

A statement issued by Achimugu confirmed that the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Captain Chris Najomo, met with Air Peace’s senior management at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.

“The NCAA has received several complaints of chronic flight cancellations and delays. This must be addressed without delay,” Najomo said. “We will continue to support the airlines, but operators must comply with regulations and global best practices.”

The DGCA advised Air Peace to align its operations with its available fleet to avoid further service disruptions. He also warned that the NCAA would intensify surveillance across Nigerian airlines to enforce compliance.

Air Peace, in its reaction, defended its operational decisions, stressing that safety—not profit—remains its priority.

“At Air Peace, safety is and will always remain our cardinal priority,” the airline stated. “We do not cancel flights for fun. These delays and cancellations are dictated by safety considerations.”

While acknowledging passengers’ frustrations, the airline said it would rather inconvenience passengers than compromise safety.

“If weather conditions, technical parameters, or operational standards fall short of what is safe, we will not operate that flight,” it said.

Air Peace further clarified that it has more aircraft than required for its daily operations, refuting the NCAA’s suggestion that it is overstretching its resources.

To streamline the handling of consumer complaints, the NCAA has introduced a centralised Passenger Information Portal aimed at addressing issues related to flight delays, cancellations, and other service lapses.

“We onboarded all domestic and international airlines and our Consumer Protection Officers at airport terminals onto the portal,” Achimugu explained. “Passengers can submit complaints directly, which are then forwarded to the relevant airlines.”

He said the portal provides real-time tracking of complaint resolution progress, including the number of cases resolved, pending, or delayed.

“The system ensures that as soon as a complaint is submitted, the countdown for resolution begins. This has made enforcement and monitoring more effective,” he added.

Calls For Awareness

While reiterating passenger rights, the NCAA also urged travellers to take responsibility for their travel conduct.

“Many passengers arrive late for check-in or fail to use online check-in, leading to disruptions,” Achimugu said.

“There must be shared responsibility. We’ve stepped up awareness campaigns and recorded the highest ticket refunds and compensations in 2024.”

He also noted that weather-related disruptions fall under “force majeure” and do not place liability on airlines.

“You can’t punish an airline for bad weather,” he said. “Passengers must understand that delays in such cases are for their own safety.” (Channels TV)