Flight cancellations: Local airlines refund passengers over N1bn in 3 months

Domestic airlines in Nigeria have refunded a total of N1.038 billion to 5,285 passengers between April and June 2025, according to data released by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

This disclosure was made in a post shared on the NCAA’s official X account on Monday, stressing the Authority’s ongoing efforts to ensure that airlines comply with passenger protection obligations.

While the NCAA did not provide a breakdown of refunds by airline or route, the statement highlighted the refund activity during the second quarter of the year.

“Between the months of April–June (2025), domestic airlines in Nigeria paid refunds to air passengers as follows:

“Total Number of Passengers refunded: 5,285. Combined total refunds (in naira): N1,038,505,680.80,” the Authority wrote.

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Recalled that the NCAA has said it will sanction airlines that fail to refund passengers within 14 days after flight cancellations or delays, especially when the request for refunds is made by affected passengers.

The authority said failure to comply with Part 19 of NCAA regulations will, henceforth, attract immediate sanctions.

Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), warned that airlines that fail to pay refunds within the stipulated time frame of 14 days of NCAA regulations 2023 will be sanctioned.

Achimugu explained that he had spent an entire year engaging airlines, listening to their challenges, and partnering with them to give passengers a better travel experience

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.