The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has reaffirmed that passengers are entitled to a refund within 14 days of cancellation of flights, in line with consumer protection regulations.
Michael Achimug, director of public affairs and consumer protection at the NCAA, talks about the sunrise on TV on Channels.
“For tickets that are not purchased in cash, the airline will have a refund for 14 days,” Achimugu said. “If you don’t, you’ll end up with sanctions.”
Reminders follow an increase in public complaints about permanent flight delays and cancellations. However, Achimugu revealed that not all confusion was caused by airline negligence.
“Air peace is likely to run more flights than all other domestic airlines combined, so we see more confusion naturally. Still, the NCAA will be accountable when necessary,” he said.
He advised that the airline to restrict routes if there were shortages of aircraft and warned against selling tickets for flights that cannot be guaranteed.
“If two out of five aircraft are finished service, we will need to reduce the number of scheduled flights. Please don’t sell anything that cannot be delivered,” warned Achimugu.
He suggested that airlines fail to comply with the directive or frequently violate consumer regulations will face even more severe penalties.
Summons the peace of the air
The NCAA summoned air peace on Friday by covering reports of delays and cancellations. Civil Aviation Captain, Director Chris Najomo, met with the airline leadership in Abuja and emphasized that the trend must stop.
“The NCAA has received repeated complaints. Compliance with aviation standards cannot be negotiated while supporting operators,” Najomo said.
He urged Air Peace to match its operations to the availability of the fleet and warned of gradual regulatory oversight across all airlines.
He states that air peace is responded by observing decisions, and that safety is still the principle of that principle.
“We don’t cancel flights frivolously. Safety concerns – weather, technical issues, or operational standards – will guide every decision,” the airline said, claiming that there are aircraft that meet your daily needs.
Consumer Complaint Portal
To streamline passenger complaints, the NCAA has introduced a central passenger information portal. Achimugu said it will allow travelers to file complaints that will be routed to the airline and tracked in real time.
“This system allows for effective resolution monitoring. When a complaint is recorded, we start a countdown,” he explained.
Seek for shared responsibility
While asserting passenger rights, Achimugu also urged travelers to be responsible for timely check-in and use of online services.
“We launched Awareness Drives and recorded the best ticket refunds and compensation ever in 2024,” he said.
He added that weather-related delays will be exempt from the accusation, saying that the airline will be liable for bad weather and that “we cannot punish the airline for such a bad weather. Delays in such cases are a safety precaution.”
