NCAA to sanction 5 airlines over flight cancellations, missing luggage, others

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has initiated enforcement action against five airlines – two international and three domestic operators – for various violations of Part 19 of the NCAA regulations including nonpayment of refunds within the stipulated time frame, non-responsiveness to the NCAA’s directives, missing luggage, manhandled luggage, short-landed baggage, delayed and canceled flights, amongst others.

Michael Achimugu, the director of public affairs and consumer protection (NCAA), disclosed this on Tuesday.

While Achimugu did not disclose the airlines whose sanctions he signed, he said that although airlines are not always responsible for flight disruptions, NCAA regulations stipulate actions that airlines must take during disruptions. Failure to comply attracts various levels of sanctions.

Recall that the Authority recently warned that it will initiate sanctions if airlines fail to pay refunds within the stipulated time frame of fourteen days for online ticket purchases and immediate cash refunds for tickets purchased by cash.

The incessant disruptions this yuletide has caused a surge in passengers’ complaints about delays and cancellations.

“We all know that this is harmattan season, so there is poor visibility. Flights must get cancelled. This is force majeure, and the airlines do not owe passengers anything in those instances. The enforcement we are initiating today is on cases where the airline is deemed to have been at fault. More will come,” the director explained.

“The director also assured that the Authority will be summoning the CEOs of all airlines this week to a meeting over flight disruptions and regulatory regulatory breaches,” Achimugu 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.