Why We Sanctioned 5 Airlines — NCAA
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has clarified that the recent sanctions imposed on five airlines were related to consumer protection violations and not issues concerning flight safety.
This response comes after media reports suggested that the airlines may have faced penalties for more severe infractions than those related to flight disruptions. In a statement issued by Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, he explained that the sanctions were based strictly on consumer-related infractions. He emphasized that his department deals with consumer protection matters, not technical or safety concerns.
Achimugu stated, “Even the DGCA publicly announced at a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos, the names of the airlines, and the reasons for the enforcement actions. My department is strictly for consumer protection issues, not technical matters. So why would anyone think that I can sanction an airline for safety reasons?”
He further stressed that the NCAA does not sensationalize serious matters, highlighting that the agency’s role is to protect both operators and passengers while remaining impartial in its enforcement actions.
Two weeks ago, Achimugu had warned airlines about delays in processing passenger refunds, urging them to comply with the NCAA Regulations 2023 that stipulate a specific timeframe for payments. Following this, the NCAA announced sanctions against Royal Air Maroc, Ethiopian Airways, Air Peace, Arik Air, and Aero Contractors for not adhering to the refund requirements.
Additionally, the Acting Director-General of NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, convened an emergency stakeholders’ meeting to discuss solutions for flight delays and cancellations. During the meeting, he urged airlines to adjust their operations to reflect the number of aircraft available and to prioritize consumer complaints more urgently.
In response to the enforcement action, Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace, acknowledged that some of his finance staff had delayed payments, a situation he was not pleased with. Onyema clarified that the airline’s vision is not aligned with any practices that inconvenience passengers and committed to improving their response time to such complaints.
