The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued a strong warning to domestic airlines delaying the refund of cancelled or unused tickets beyond the legally allowed period of 14 days.
The warning came in a statement released on Monday by NCAA spokesperson, Michael Achimugu, via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle. According to Achimugu, it is unacceptable and unlawful for airlines to tell passengers that their refunds would take up to four weeks to process.
“Domestic airlines NEED to stop telling passengers that their refund process takes four weeks. There can’t be two captains-in-command on an aircraft,” he wrote.
He added that the NCAA regulations are clear and must be followed by all operators. “The NCAA Regulations 2023, Part 19, states that all refunds must be processed and paid within 14 days of a formal request by the passenger. Operators cannot create their own timelines,” Achimugu said.
The aviation regulator expressed deep concern over what it called a growing trend of non-compliance by some Nigerian airlines. It described such practices as not only unprofessional but also harmful to passengers and damaging to the credibility of the aviation sector.
“This behaviour amounts to duplicating aviation rules, undermining the Authority’s mandate, and causing unnecessary hardship for passengers,” Achimugu stated.
He encouraged all passengers who are victims of refund delays to report any violation immediately. Specifically, he urged travellers to forward any communication where an airline promises a refund beyond the 14-day window to the NCAA for action.
Affected passengers are to send such complaints to:
“Enough of this. We cannot all claim to be working for the improvement of the industry and be duplicating rules in a manner that undermines the Authority and is unfair to passengers,” he said.
The NCAA’s 2023 regulations aim to protect air travellers and ensure better service delivery in the sector. The 14-day refund policy is part of a broader framework designed to hold operators accountable and reduce customer dissatisfaction.
Despite these efforts, many Nigerian passengers still face difficulties when seeking refunds for cancelled or unused tickets. Complaints about long delays, lack of communication, and poor customer service are common, especially among domestic carriers.
“This is a step in the right direction. If the regulators don’t insist on the rules, some airlines will continue to take passengers for granted,” said aviation analyst, Olumide Adebayo.
While the NCAA has warned airlines in the past over poor service delivery, stakeholders believe the time has come to impose real penalties for violations.
“The NCAA must go beyond warnings. Offending airlines should face fines or operational penalties to send a strong message,” said travel consultant Aisha Bello.
The aviation authority has restated its commitment to protecting passenger rights and improving service standards in Nigeria’s aviation industry. Passengers are encouraged to know their rights and report violations promptly.
With this warning, the NCAA has put airlines on notice — follow the rules or face the consequences.
