The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has initiated enforcement actions against five airlines (two international and three domestic operators) for various violations of Part 19 of the NCAA regulations.
These include nonpayment of refunds within the stipulated time frame, non-responsiveness to NCAA directives, missing luggage, mishandled luggage, short-landed baggage, delayed and canceled flights, among others.
The director of public affairs and consumer protection at NCAA, Mr. Michael Achimugu disclosed this while addressing journalists at the authority’s corporate headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.
He explained that although airlines are not always responsible for flight disruptions, NCAA regulations stipulate actions airlines must take during such situations. Failure to comply attracts various levels of sanctions.
Recall that the authority recently warned that it would initiate sanctions if airlines failed to pay refunds within the stipulated time frame of 14 days for online ticket purchases and immediate cash refunds for tickets purchased with cash.
The frequent disruptions this yuletide season have led to a surge in passenger complaints about delays and cancellations. Achimugu defended the airlines for most of the cancellations, stating:
“We all know that this is harmattan season, so there is poor visibility. Flights must get canceled. 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 also assured the public that the authority would be summoning the CEOs of all airlines this week to a meeting over flight disruptions and regulatory breaches.
While Achimugu did not disclose the names of the airlines being sanctioned, sources close to the authority revealed that they include Ethiopian Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, Arik Air, Aero Contractors and Air Peace.
