NCAA to sanction airlines over false flight schedule

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has frowned at the prevalent cases of false departure time scheduling by local airlines.

The NCAA, therefore, warned the airlines to desist from such infractions or face dire regulatory actions.

The Acting Director General of the NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo stated this on Tuesday at the authority’s corporate headquarters in Abuja.

According to him, the NCAA now run a zero-tolerance approach to regulatory infractions.

When needed to refund passengers, the NCAA also said all refunds by airlines must be done devoid of undue delays, stressing that the process must be completed within 14 working days regardless of the mode of purchase of the tickets.

The NCAA Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, in a media interview, quoted Najomo as saying, “He made the ease of doing business the crux of his action plan for the NCAA. In line with that action plan, he has made processes for licensing easy for operators. The time to secure AOC is now shorter and less cumbersome than it used to be in the past.  The NCAA therefore expects reciprocity from airlines. Chief of which is world-class services to passengers.”

Achimugu noted that if the NCAA was making business easier for operators, it was important for airlines to satisfy their passengers with superior services.

“It has come to our notice that some airlines are being reported for advertising deceitful departure times. The NCAA regulation says no airline shall display deceitful passenger departure time at its counter, advert material, or on its website.

“We want to make it very clear that the DGCA has directed monitoring, and offenders will face serious regulatory actions,” Achidume said.

According to him, the authority believes in safety, discipline, and economic regulation, which is evidenced in the recent suspension of 10 PNCF holders for failing to comply with the recertification advisory issued in April 2024.

He indicated that while the NCAA supports airlines to be profitable because of their critical value to the economy, it is important passengers are treated fairly.

Achimugu further stated, “This is evident in our high score on the Presidential Enabling Business Council (PEBEC) ranking. Recently our sister agency scored 96 per cent, but the NCAA scored 98.5 per cent, which is an extremely high score. This is building from the commendable score of 71.04 the NCAA scored during this year’s ICAO Security Audit.

“The numbers are improving, and we will continue to do what we can to make the industry safer, and more secure for passengers and stakeholders.”