By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA )has shed light on the recent sanctions imposed on five major airlines in the country.
NCAA maintained that sanctions were strictly related to consumer protection violations and not safety concerns.
The agency stressed that the clarification became necessary following speculations making the rounds in some media outlets suggesting ulterior motives.
NCAA said this in a statement issued by its Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, Michael Achimugu, and sent to journalists on Saturday.
Recall that two weeks ago, the NCAA warned that airlines delaying passenger refunds beyond the stipulated timeframe outlined in Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023 would face sanctions.
A week later, the regulatory agency announced enforcement actions against Royal Air Maroc, Ethiopian Airways, Air Peace, Arik Air, and Aero Contractors.
The Acting Director-General of the NCAA, Chris Najomo, convened an emergency stakeholder meeting to address ongoing issues of flight delays and cancellations.
At the meeting, he urged operators to align their operations with their available resources and treat consumer complaints with urgency.
Reacting to the sanctions, the Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, expressed disappointment with the delays caused by some of his finance staff.
“I noticed that some of my finance staff actually delayed some of those payments, and I was not happy about it as my vision does not align with any practice that inconveniences passengers,” Onyema stated.
He accepted the NCAA’s enforcement action, committing to improving the airline’s response time to complaints.
However, contrary to suggestions that the sanctions extended beyond consumer protection issues, Achimugu refuted the claims, emphasising the department’s focus.
“Even the DGCA publicly announced at a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos the names of the airlines and the reasons for the enforcement actions. My department is strictly for consumer protection issues, not technical matters. So why would anyone think I can sanction an airline for safety reasons?”
He further stressed the NCAA’s commitment to fairness, adding, “It is important to note that we do not sensationalise serious issues. The department protects both the operators and passengers and will continue to be an unbiased umpire.”
