NCAA accuses United Nigeria of flouting consumer protection policy

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has accused United Nigeria Airlines of flouting its operational and consumer protection requirements.

The Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Chris Najomo made this known during a consultative meeting with the management of United Nigeria Airlines at the NCAA Corporate Headquarters in Abuja recently.

Speaking, Najomo said the regulatory intervention was aimed at ensuring that airlines operate safely, efficiently and within the limits of their available resources, stressing that the NCAA was not seeking to frustrate the operations of carriers in the country.

He explained that the authority’s regulatory responsibility was to ensure that airlines remained sustainable while protecting the interests of passengers.

According to him, airlines must not allow the pursuit of route expansion to affect the quality of services provided to passengers.

The DG warned United Nigeria against operating beyond its available capacity, particularly when aircraft are unavailable or grounded, saying such situations should not leave passengers stranded without adequate information or assistance.

He also expressed concern over recent operational lapses involving the airline and stressed the need for improved communication with affected passengers.

Also speaking at the meeting, the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, raised concerns over what he described as the airline’s repeated failure to comply with operational and consumer protection requirements under Part 19 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs), 2013.

Achimugu criticised the airline’s handling of passenger communications, particularly updates concerning flight delays and refunds.

He described the recent disruptions as gross and warned that the NCAA would no longer tolerate what he regarded as disregard for established regulations.

He said, “There must be honesty in communication with passengers, especially when flights are delayed or cancelled and when refunds are due.”

Achimugu stressed that passengers were entitled to clear information about their flights and should not be left uncertain about the status of their tickets or refunds.

The Director, Operations, Licensing and Training Standards, Capt. Donald Spiff, also advised the airline to review its route network whenever it experiences an Aircraft-On-Ground (AOG) situation.

Spiff urged the carrier to scale down its active routes when necessary rather than continue operating a network that its available aircraft cannot adequately support.

He further cautioned the airline against opening new destinations without following the required regulatory procedures.

“Whenever you have an AOG situation, you must look at your active routes and scale down appropriately,” Spiff said.

Responding to the concerns raised by the regulator, United Nigeria Airlines apologised for the disruptions and assured the NCAA that it would address outstanding passenger complaints.

The airline also promised to clear all pending ticket refund cases within 14 days, in line with the stipulated refund timeline.

The NCAA said the directive forms part of its broader responsibility to protect passengers and ensure that airlines operating in Nigeria comply with established safety, operational and consumer protection requirements.

The authority reiterated that airlines must balance business expansion with their ability to deliver reliable services to passengers without compromising regulatory standards.