NCAA drags 13 airlines over delays, cancellations

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has summoned 13 domestic airlines to an emergency meeting over the rising wave of flight delays and cancellations frustrating Nigerian passengers nationwide.

The meeting, fixed for Wednesday at NCAA headquarters in Abuja, was confirmed by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr. Michael Achimugu, via his X handle on Tuesday.

The regulator said the move became necessary following repeated complaints from travelers and increasing cases of unruly passenger behaviour at airports, which it blamed on airlines’ poor adherence to aviation rules.

According to Achimugu, the parley will tackle flight delays and cancellations, refund and compensation disputes, passenger welfare obligations, enforcement of safety rules such as the phone switch-off directive, RFID baggage tagging, and real-time flight monitoring technology.

He lamented that many airlines cancel flights late at night without providing accommodation, leaving NCAA officers to deal with stranded and angry passengers, often at personal risk.

“This era of leniency is over. For infractions that are sanctionable, the Authority will apply the fullest measures possible. We will not abandon the letters of our regulations,” Achimugu warned.

Barely 24 hours earlier, NCAA had reminded airlines of their obligations under Part 19 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, which compels carriers to provide hotels for stranded passengers between 10:00pm and 4:00am.

The agency also vowed to begin naming and shaming recalcitrant airlines that habitually flout the rules.

While acknowledging the tough operating environment, NCAA insisted Nigerian carriers must meet global standards if they want to be respected as world-class.