FG to compel airlines to pay compensation for delayed, cancelled flights

The Federal Government has said that it will soon issue an order, compelling airline operators to commence payment of compensation to passengers for delayed and cancelled flights not attributed to natural occurrences.

Festus Keyamo, Aviation and Aerospace Development said this during a meeting with airline operators in Abuja on Monday.

“I want to speak for ordinary Nigerians who complain every day about delayed, cancelled flights. I know you have said all your reasons. You have blamed the government and a few things we do but I also want to say that it is not all the time that it is government,” the minister said.

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He said passengers sometimes wait in the lounge for as long as five hours, only for their flights to be canceled.

“So, you see, after some time, we will start implementing the provisions of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Act. You know, Nigerians don’t know there is compensation for delay. If it is an act of God, you cannot pay.

“But if it is human fault, the NCAA Act says you will pay. So, for all airline operators, while I have praised and supported you, I will also support Nigerians. You will pay them. After some time, I will put my feet on the ground. Pay them when you delay and cancel their flights,” Keyamo said.

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.