The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has taken actions against five airlines, two international carriers and three domestic operators for violating Part 19 of its regulations.
NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, announced the sanctions in a statement issued to journalists on Tuesday.
The penalties stem from a range of infractions, including failure to process refunds within the required timeframe, ignoring directives from the NCAA, mishandling or losing luggage, and issues like delayed or cancelled flights.
Achimugu emphasised that while airlines are not always responsible for flight disruptions, NCAA rules mandate specific responses during such incidents. Non-compliance triggers enforcement actions.
The Authority recently reiterated its stance on refunds, mandating airlines to process online ticket refunds within 14 days or provide immediate cash refunds for tickets purchased with cash.
The holiday season has seen a spike in passenger complaints over flight delays and cancellations. Achimugu attributed many cancellations to factors outside the airlines’ control.
Part of challenges attributed included harmattan poor visibility, which inevitably leads to canceled flights, adding that in such cases, airlines are not liable to passengers under force majeure conditions.
However, Achimugu clarified that the current sanctions target situations where airlines are directly at fault. He reiterated the NCAA’s commitment to enforcing adherence to laws as more enforcement actions are expected in the following weeks.
To address these issues comprehensively, the NCAA plans to summon airline CEOs this week for discussions on flight disruptions and regulatory compliance.
