The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has commenced enforcement actions against five airlines for breaching the provisions of Part 19 of its regulations. According to an official statement, the affected operators include two international airlines and three domestic carriers.
The enforcement actions against the airlines include nonpayment of refunds within the stipulated time frame, non-responsiveness to the NCAA’s directives, missing luggage, manhandled luggage, short-landed baggage, and delayed and cancelled flights.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection (NCAA), Mr Michael Achimugu, disclosed this whilst speaking to journalists at the corporate headquarters of the Authority in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said that although airlines are not always responsible for flight disruptions, NCAA regulations stipulate actions that airlines must take during disruptions. Failure to comply attracts various levels of sanctions.
Recall that the Authority recently warned that it would initiate sanctions if airlines fail to pay refunds within the stipulated time frame of fifteen days for online ticket purchases and immediate cash refunds for tickets purchased by cash.
The incessant disruptions this yuletide have caused a surge in passengers’ complaints about delays and cancellations. Mr Achimugu defended the airlines for most of the cancellations.
“We all know that this is harmattan season, so there is poor visibility. Flights must get cancelled. This is force majeure, and the airlines do not owe passengers anything in those instances.
“The enforcement we are initiating today is on cases where the airline is deemed to have been at fault. More will come,” the director explained.
The director also assured that the authority would be summoning the chief executive officers of all airlines this week to a meeting over flight disruptions and regulatory breaches.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has not officially revealed the names of the airlines.
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