The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, or NCAA, has emphasised that the sanctions imposed on five airlines recently were for violations pertaining to consumer protection, not safety issues, in contrast to allegations that have been circulating in various media outlets. Remember that two weeks ago, Michael Achimugu, the Authority’s Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, warned that airlines would face penalties if they failed to give refunds to customers within the time frame specified in Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
Thank you for visiting The Vestigator, don't forget to share!
The regulatory body declared a week later that it had begun enforcement action against Aero Contractors, Ethiopian Airways, Air Peace, Arik Air, and Royal Air Maroc. In response to the announcement, Air Peace Chairman Allen Onyema stated that he was unhappy since his vision does not support any practices that cause his passengers any hardship. He had observed that some of his financial personnel had really delayed some of those payments.
He acknowledged the NCAA’s enforcement action and promised to speed up the airline’s response to similar grievances. However, other media outlets reported that the airlines might have faced sanctions for far more than just problems with flight disruptions. “Even the DGCA publicly announced the names of the airlines and the reasons for the enforcement actions at a stakeholders meeting in Lagos,” Mr. Achimugu wrote in a statement he submitted. Technical difficulties are outside the purview of my department, which is only focused on consumer protection issues.
Therefore, why would anyone believe that I could impose safety-related sanctions on an airline? It’s crucial to remember that we avoid making serious topics seem sensational. The department will remain an impartial referee and safeguard both operators and passengers,” he said.
