The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has called an emergency meeting with 13 domestic airlines over the growing wave of flight delays and cancellations that have left passengers stranded across the country.
The meeting, slated for Wednesday at the NCAA headquarters in Abuja, was announced by the agency’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, in a post on his X handle on Tuesday.
Achimugu said the decision followed rising passenger complaints and recent cases of unruly behaviour at airports, which he linked partly to airlines’ disregard for aviation regulations.
According to him, discussions will centre on critical issues including persistent delays and cancellations, passenger welfare obligations, unresolved refund and compensation claims, enforcement of safety directives such as phone switch-off during flights, protection for cabin crew and NCAA officials, and plans to introduce RFID baggage tagging with real-time flight monitoring technology.
The move comes a day after the NCAA reminded carriers of their obligations under Part 19 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, which require airlines to provide hotel accommodation for stranded passengers between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. in the event of flight cancellations or long delays.
Achimugu warned that the regulator would no longer tolerate non-compliance, vowing to impose maximum sanctions on erring operators. He added that the NCAA is prepared to begin “naming and shaming” airlines that cancel or delay flights without due process or adequate passenger support.
“The era of leniency is over,” he said. “For sanctionable infractions, the Authority will apply the fullest measures possible. We will not abandon the letters of our regulations.”
While acknowledging challenges faced by domestic carriers, Achimugu insisted that Nigerian airlines must meet global operational standards to maintain credibility.
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