The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has clarified that recent sanctions imposed on five airlines were strictly related to consumer protection violations, not safety concerns.
This clarification follows widespread speculation in certain media outlets suggesting otherwise.
The agency emphasised this in a statement issued by its Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, Michael Achimugu, and sent to journalists on Saturday.
Recall that two weeks ago, the NCAA warned that airlines delaying passenger refunds beyond the stipulated timeframe outlined in Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023 would face sanctions.
A week later, the regulatory agency announced enforcement actions against Royal Air Maroc, Ethiopian Airways, Air Peace, Arik Air, and Aero Contractors.
The Acting Director-General of the NCAA, Chris Najomo, convened an emergency stakeholder meeting to address ongoing issues of flight delays and cancellations.
At the meeting, he urged operators to align their operations with their available resources and treat consumer complaints with urgency.
Reacting to the sanctions, the Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, expressed disappointment with the delays caused by some of his finance staff.
He accepted the NCAA’s enforcement action, committing to improving the airline’s response time to complaints.
However, contrary to suggestions that the sanctions extended beyond consumer protection issues, Achimugu refuted the claims, emphasising the department’s focus.
