The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed Air Peace to develop a compensation package for passengers affected by a delayed Lagos-Enugu flight on Monday, after its preliminary investigation found that the airline sent them the wrong notification.
A human rights activist and lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, had accused Air Peace of irresponsibility and impunity after his Lagos-Enugu flight was delayed until the evening.
Effiong said in a post on X on Monday that the delay would cause him to miss a scheduled court appearance in Enugu State.
The NCAA, through its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, however, said it would look into the disruption, while rejecting Effiong’s claim that the regulator was incapable of tackling the airline.
Responding to Effiong’s post via X, Achimugu said the authority could not be described as incapable simply because a passenger’s flight was disrupted.
“The NCAA cannot treat cases in advance. It is not a miracle centre and cannot tell that a disruption would happen BEFORE it happens. When it does happen, you report to the NCAA,” Achimugu said.
He expressed empathy with Effiong, adding, “This is not how we want the industry to be.”
Achimugu said the NCAA would investigate the disruption and that, from Effiong’s account, it appeared to be a “ripple effect from yesterday’s disruption.”
“Just last week, we urged the airline to ensure to have a buffer aircraft to mitigate extreme disruptions, especially given recent events. I will reach out to them and find out what happened,” he said.
In a follow-up message to Effiong after the investigation, Achimugu said the flight was disrupted due to the ripple effects of Sunday night’s disruptions.
He said the airline ought to have notified passengers scheduled to fly that morning that the flight had been rescheduled.
Achimugu said a senior management staff member of the airline claimed the passengers were informed, but Effiong countered that the notification he received asked passengers to come early for the flight. The lawyer had sent the NCAA a screenshot of the message.
“The Station Manager and Duty Manager have confirmed that the messages sent out was the one you received, and that it was done in error,” Achimugu said.
He added that both officials admitted that passengers on the flight should have been told about the reschedule.
The NCAA spokesman said the airline claimed to have taken the affected passengers to a hotel, where they would be provided care until boarding time, but the authority was still trying to confirm this.
According to him, the NCAA has asked the airline, in compliance with Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023, to develop a compensation package for the affected passengers and to inform the authority in good time.
“We have asked that the airline, in compliance with Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023, come up with a compensation package for affected passengers and let us know in good time.
“Timely and honest information is key, and there was a gap in this regard,” Achimugu said. “Sending the wrong notification was not a force majeure incident.”
He said the airline would not be sanctioned if it provided compensation and duty of care to the passengers, but warned that heavy sanctions would follow if it failed to do so.
Achimugu said sanctions were not the automatic response to every disruption because rules guided their application, adding that he would post a video explaining the point.
