Nigeria-based carrier, Air Peace has been summoned by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to its headquarters for an urgent meeting on Monday regarding a number of unexplained disruptions affecting passengers.
The directive follows complaints received from travellers on the Heathrow-Abuja flight, who were reportedly rerouted via Gatwick-Lagos-Abuja and left stranded in Lagos due to a reported air return caused by a cracked windshield.
Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NCAA, confirmed the development, stating that the situation has “activated the Consumer Protection Department of the NCAA.”
He explained that the disruptions, coupled with cases of delayed refunds, compensations, and unmet first needs, prompted the regulatory authority to take immediate action.
“We will not tolerate any abandonment of paying passengers,” Achimugu said.
“While the Authority continues to support domestic carriers, we hold all operators to the strictest standards.”
The NCAA emphasised that a thorough investigation into these disruptions will be conducted.
“Appropriate action will be taken as usual based on the facts of the incident as enshrined in Part 19 of the NCAA regulations 2023,” Achimugu added.
The NCAA, as the sole regulatory agency for civil aviation in Nigeria, reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the rights of all stakeholders in the sector.
“The NCAA remains committed to protecting the rights of all stakeholders,” Achimugu said, highlighting the authority’s ongoing oversight responsibilities for domestic and international carriers operating in Nigeria.
The urgent meeting with Air Peace is expected to address the reported incidents in detail, provide clarity on refund and compensation processes, and outline steps to prevent future occurrences.
Michael Achimugu confirmed that the NCAA’s intervention is aimed at ensuring accountability and that all airline operators continue to meet the statutory requirements set under Nigeria’s civil aviation laws.
In another development, SaharaReporters had reported that the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) concluded preliminary investigations into airline ticket pricing during the last Christmas and New Year holidays and is preparing to sanction about five airlines found guilty of price fixing.
The disclosure was made on Thursday by the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the commission, Tunji Bello, during the State House “Meet the Press” session.
According to Bello, the investigation found that the affected airlines allegedly colluded to fix ticket prices during the peak festive travel period, causing fares to surge significantly.
He said, “With its preliminary investigations concluded, the FCCPC is set to sanction about 5 airlines guilty of colluding to fix prices during the last Christmas/New Year holidays.”
Bello further noted that the airlines involved may be required to compensate passengers who paid inflated fares.
“These airlines may be asked to refund excess to the customers,” he said.
During the festive season, domestic flight fares reportedly rose sharply, with some tickets selling for as high as N405,000 and N600,000, triggering widespread complaints from travellers across the country.
