NCAA enforces airline compliance amid passenger complaints

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has taken decisive enforcement actions against airlines failing to comply with its regulations, a move that has sparked reactions from industry stakeholders.

At a meeting held today at the NCAA Annex in Lagos, Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace, publicly acknowledged the infractions committed by his airline’s staff and pledged to ensure compliance with the Authority’s directives.

Onyema admitted witnessing some of the violations and has cautioned his team to adhere strictly to Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023, which mandates timely passenger refunds.

“I am glad that this has happened. I have warned my team. This shows that the NCAA know what they are doing. I will always acknowledge it where the fault is ours,” Onyema stated.

The meeting, chaired by NCAA Director General Capt. Chris Najomo, also addressed compliance issues with international carriers.

Ethiopian Airlines, which was served a notification of enforcement action, expressed readiness to adhere to NCAA regulations and committed to submitting a compliance report by tomorrow.

For the first time in over a decade, the NCAA Consumer Protection Department has initiated sanctions against airlines, a step driven by rising passenger complaints over flight disruptions.

Capt. Najomo urged operators to streamline their flight schedules to manageable sectors, emphasizing that enforcement actions will intensify to uphold industry standards.

He also cautioned airlines about unruly passenger behavior, stating, “While we expect airlines to meet their obligations, we will not tolerate disruptive actions from passengers either.”