NCAA to Name and Shame Airlines Over Flight Delays and Cancellations

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced plans to start naming and shaming airlines that flout aviation rules, especially those linked to flight delays and cancellations.

In a warning shared on his X handle on Monday, NCAA spokesperson Michael Achimugu reminded airlines that passengers stranded between 10:00 pm and 4:00 am due to cancellations or delays must be provided hotel accommodation — at no extra cost to them.

The Authority said the measure marks a tougher stance to protect passenger rights and restore order in the aviation sector. This comes after repeated complaints, outbursts of airport violence, and cases where airlines failed to follow due process.

NCAA noted that while some incidents were caused by passengers unaware of aviation laws, others stemmed from airlines deliberately sidestepping regulations. The Authority also condemned the habit of airline staff vanishing from terminals during disruptions, leaving NCAA Consumer Protection Officers to face angry crowds.

Achimugu declared, “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 it acknowledged the operational challenges in the Nigerian aviation sector, the NCAA insisted that no excuse justifies non-compliance.

“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. We must not always choose the easy way out. 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 statement read.

The Authority also criticised airlines for exposing NCAA officials to dangerous situations, noting: “You cannot expose NCAA officials to avoidable risk when all they do is support your business and protect your rights.”

To drive compliance, NCAA warned that sanctions would be applied without hesitation. “For infractions that are sanctionable, the Authority will apply the fullest measures possible. We will not abandon the letters of our regulations.”

Achimugu said the new enforcement drive follows a clear directive from the Federal Government and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

“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 per 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.