By Obinna Uballa
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has summoned 13 domestic airlines to an emergency meeting following widespread complaints about persistent flight delays and cancellations, leading to disruption of travel plans across the country.
The meeting, scheduled for Wednesday at the NCAA headquarters in Abuja, was announced by the agency’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, via his X handle on Tuesday.
Achimugu said the intervention became necessary amid rising passenger complaints and recent incidents of unruly behaviour at airports, which the NCAA partly attributes to airlines’ disregard for aviation regulations.
According to him, the meeting will focus on key issues such as persistent delays and cancellations, passenger handling and welfare obligations, unresolved refund and compensation claims, enforcement of safety measures like the mandatory phone switch-off directive, protection for cabin crew and NCAA officials, and the planned introduction of RFID baggage tagging with real-time flight monitoring technology.
This move comes less than 24 hours after the NCAA warned airlines to comply with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, particularly Part 19, which mandates specific obligations to passengers in cases of delays or cancellations, including providing hotel accommodation for stranded travellers between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m.
The regulator also signalled its readiness to begin “naming and shaming” operators that consistently flout rules, especially those that cancel or delay flights without adequate notice or support for passengers.
Achimugu criticised airlines for frequently cancelling late-night flights without making welfare arrangements, leaving NCAA consumer protection officers to manage frustrated travellers and exposing officials to security risks.
“The era of leniency is over,” he warned. “For infractions that are sanctionable, the Authority will apply the fullest measures possible. We will not abandon the letters of our regulations.”
While acknowledging the operational challenges faced by domestic carriers, Achimugu insisted that operators must meet global standards if they wish to retain credibility.
