The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that it will start publicly naming and shaming airlines that fail to comply with aviation regulations, particularly in cases of flight delays and cancellations.
The warning was issued on Monday by the NCAA’s spokesperson, Michael Achimugu, through a post on his official X handle. He stressed that passengers stranded between the hours of 10:00pm and 4:00am due to flight disruptions are entitled to hotel accommodation provided at the airline’s expense, in line with Nigeria’s aviation regulations.
This move signals a tougher stance by the NCAA in enforcing accountability within the aviation industry and protecting passenger rights, especially after several reports of airport chaos and violence linked to airlines’ failure to follow laid-down rules.
In recent months, incidents of disorder at airports have become more common. While some cases were linked to passengers’ ignorance of aviation rules, others resulted from deliberate actions by airlines to sidestep regulations and deny passengers their rights.
The NCAA condemned a recurring practice where airline staff abandon passengers during disruptions, leaving Consumer Protection Officers (CPOs) to manage crowds of frustrated and sometimes violent passengers.
Achimugu stated, “The situation where airline staff intentionally disappear, leaving NCAA Consumer Protection Officers to handle justifiably irate and frustrated passengers will no longer be tolerated.”
Although the Authority admitted that Nigerian airlines operate in a difficult environment marked by high costs and logistical challenges, it insisted that these difficulties do not excuse non-compliance with established aviation rules.
“While one understands the challenges that operators face in our peculiar operating environment, whoever willfully ventures into a business and wants to remain in it must do it well,” Achimugu added.
He further challenged airlines to aim for global standards, saying, “Don’t you want to be called ‘world class’? Don’t you want to compete at the highest level? If not for the sake of the passengers who trust you to safely fly them, what about for your own pride?”
The Authority also criticised airlines for exposing NCAA officials to unnecessary risks when they abandon their duties during flight disruptions. Achimugu explained that NCAA staff are deployed to assist both passengers and the airline industry, not to replace absent airline staff.
“You cannot expose NCAA officials to avoidable risk when all they do is support your business and protect your rights,” he said.
As part of its new enforcement drive, the NCAA said it would apply the full weight of the law in sanctioning any airline found guilty of violating passenger rights.
“For infractions that are sanctionable, the Authority will apply the fullest measures possible. We will not abandon the letters of our regulations,” the statement read.
The regulatory agency noted that the decision to escalate its enforcement approach follows a directive from the Federal Government and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
Achimugu confirmed that the new strategy of naming and shaming defaulting airlines would commence immediately, stressing that the NCAA had already exhausted advisory measures in the past.
“In compliance with the directives from the Federal Government and the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the naming and shaming will commence. While we have done our best to advise on solutions to flight disruptions and why not nearly all cases are the fault of the airlines, the NCAA expects that operators must comply with the regulations in the event of a disruption,” he added.
Analysts say this marks a significant moment in Nigeria’s aviation industry, where airlines have long been accused of failing to respect passenger rights. The NCAA’s tougher approach is expected to restore order and improve customer confidence, though the effectiveness of the move will depend on consistent enforcement and transparency in the naming and shaming process.
For air travellers, the new directive could bring a sense of relief as they look forward to better treatment during flight disruptions. However, for airlines, the coming months may prove challenging as regulatory pressure increases on an industry already struggling with rising costs, forex scarcity, and infrastructural deficits.
