Market News

By Abdullateef Aliyu, Lagos

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has imposed a N5 million fine on Qatar Airways over what it described as consumer-protection–related infractions.

The sanction was announced by Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA in a statement.

He stated that the penalty followed verified breaches of the authority’s consumer-protection regulations. 

Apart from Qatar Airways, other foreign and domestic airlines have been fined by the regulatory authority.

They included Air Peace, Arik, Aero Contractors, Ethiopian Airways,Royal Air Maroc and Kenya Airways.

Achimugu in the statement posted on X stated that Qatar Airways had failed to meet key obligations owed to passengers under Nigerian aviation laws.

Achimugu further revealed that the authority has issued Letters of Investigation (LOIs) to the airline regarding other pending cases. 

These investigations, he said, could lead to more stringent sanctions if Qatar Airways does not provide satisfactory responses or corrective actions.

“As always, the NCAA is committed to protecting the rights of all stakeholders,” Achimugu stated, reiterating the agency’s resolve to ensure airlines operating in Nigeria uphold the highest standards of service, transparency, and accountability.

Daily Trust reports that the regulatory authority has recently intensified enforcement activities across the sector, insisting that airlines both domestic and international must adhere strictly to consumer-protection protocols especially regarding flight delays and cancellations in line with Part 19 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations 2023.

Qatar Airways has not yet publicly responded to the sanction. An email sent to the communications and media relations of the airline was replied with a promise to get back “as soon as possible.”

It would be recalled that Achimugu had earlier called out the airline, saying it had carried on as though “Nigerian passengers and the NCAA are not deserving of their respect, dignified treatment, and compliance with Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.”

“This will be brought to a stop immediately,” Achimugu had said.

He added, “A member of this airline’s cabin crew claimed that, while she was wheeling a passenger during boarding for a flight from Lagos to the US via Doha, a male passenger who was travelling with his wife had touched her butt. 

“She did not report this incident in Lagos. On arrival in Doha, she made an allegation against this passenger, leading to his arrest and detention for about eighteen hours. During the period, his wife suffered mental, physical, and psychological trauma without any form of care. She wondered how her husband could have committed such a despicable infraction given that she was with him throughout the boarding process. 

“The authorities in Doha made the man pay a hefty fine and forced him to sign a document written ONLY in Arabic! Desperate for freedom to proceed on his journey to the US, the passenger signed a document with contents he did not understand.”