The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has summoned the management of Air Peace Limited over complaints from many Nigerian passengers who say they did not get back their ticket fares after the airline cancelled their flights. According to the FCCPC, many people are crying out against Air Peace for not honoring their payments, and this has raised serious worries about fairness and consumer rights in the country’s aviation sector.
In a formal notice dated June 13, 2025, the commission directed Air Peace’s management to appear at its headquarters in Abuja on Monday, June 23, 2025. The aim is to answer questions and clear doubts about the growing complaints from the flying public. The summons followed numerous reports that Air Peace failed to return fares to passengers when it did not operate scheduled flights.
This order was made by the Director of Corporate Affairs at FCCPC, Mr. Ondaje Ijagwu. His statement explained that Air Peace’s actions may be a violation of Sections 130(1)(a) and (b), and 130(2)(b) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018. The law says consumers have a right to prompt refunds when a service provider fails to keep its promises due to its own problems.
The FCCPC, in its summons, demanded Air Peace to submit documents that will help clear the air. These documents include a complaint register for the last 12 months, a record of all processed refunds, a list of all the flights it canceled during the period, and what it has done to reduce the suffering of affected passengers. The commission made it clear that it was acting under Section 32 and Section 33 of its Act of 2018.
“The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has summoned the management of Air Peace Limited following numerous complaints from all over the country about non-refund of ticket fares, even when the airline itself canceled its operations. These actions may be unfair and a violation of consumers’ rights under the FCCPA of 2018. The summons require Air Peace to appear at its Abuja headquarters on June 23, 2025, to respond to these complaints and show what it has done to resolve the issues.”
The FCCPC explained that Section 33(3) of its Act says failure to obey the summons may lead to penalties, including imprisonment or heavy fines.
But Air Peace, in a quick reaction on Monday, said it hadn’t gotten any official invitation from the commission. The airline insisted it first heard about the summons from media reports and not from a formal communication. Air Peace maintained it operates in a fair and responsible way, following all industry regulations and procedures in addressing passenger complaints.
The airline said, “We wish to assure the public and regulators that we have not received any formal communication from the FCCPC. Nevertheless, Air Peace is a responsible airline. If we do get a proper invitation, we will respond and provide all necessary clarifications.”
This controversy comes days after Senator Adams Oshiomhole fell into a dispute with Air Peace over alleged unfair treatment of passengers. The former Edo State governor insisted that many people were stranded after the airline demanded additional payments to reschedule their seats. Oshiomhole alleged that about 20 to 30 passengers were affected and made to pay an additional N109,100 each to be put on a later flight at 8:30 am.
The airline, however, insisted that Oshiomhole arrived late for his flight and that proper boarding procedures were followed.
This incident highlights growing dissatisfaction amongst Nigerian air travelers and underscores the need for regulators to protect their rights. The FCCPC’s action signals its readiness to hold service providers accountable and make sure consumers get fairness and justice when their service falls short.
