After Air Peace, Others, NCAA Speaks on Sanctioning More Airlines Over Regulatory Infractions

• The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority announced plans to penalize other airlines for consumer protection infractions
• This follows other carriers that were recently the focus of enforcement measures due to unresolved complaints
• The NCAA noted that the publicized sanction is not the same as the sanction itself

Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has 5-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.

Plans to punish other airlines for violations pertaining to consumer protection have been revealed by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

This comes after a number of carriers became the target of recent enforcement actions for unresolved complaints and failure to comply with regulatory requirements.

Michael Achimugu, the NCAA's Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, told Sunday PUNCH that further penalties are on the horizon.

“More airlines are going to be sanctioned shortly for similar offences. It is with the legal department at the moment, waiting to proceed to the DG’s desk for signing,” he revealed.

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He pointed out that the sanction itself is not what has been announced. It is when the enforcement action is started.

Speaking about the agency's previous measures, which included penalizing five airlines, he said that numerous airlines had started to react to the fines.

“Royal Air Maroc, I have summoned them to come to the office. Air Peace, of course, you heard the chairman himself acknowledged and accepted the sanctions. Aero has called in to say that they have already treated seven of the 11 cases for which we are sanctioning them,” he said.

He also noted progress with other airlines. “Ethiopian Airlines has written in to say that they have actually resolved cases for which we sanctioned them. However, I have asked them to send in their compliance report, which will show whether they resolved those cases before or after we announced those sanctions. Arik has also written in to say that their legal team is working on it.”

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He said that the sanctions are primarily monetary and do not impact the operations of the airlines.

“They are all still operating and flying, but the sanctions are mostly fines. They are monetary. It means that once you owe this person, you will pay the person. You will pay the fine as stipulated in the regulations. Every infraction comes with its own specific stipulated fine or punishment.”

A few weeks ago that Achimugu warned airlines that they would face penalties if they delayed customer refunds past the deadlines outlined in Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.

Enforcement measures were taken by the agency against Aero Contractors, Ethiopian Airlines, Air Peace, Arik Air, and Royal Air Maroc a week later.

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Legit.ng reported that airlines are required by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to provide passengers with hotel rooms, refreshments, and rerouting options in the event that a flight is disrupted.

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This was said in the statement released following a meeting of stakeholders that the NCAA had called to discuss issues related to flight delays.

Michael Achimugu, the NCAA's director of public affairs and consumer protection, signed the statement.

Source: Legit.ng