The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has faulted domestic airlines for failing to comply with passenger protection regulations amid persistent flight disruptions, as about 60 per cent of domestic flights operated in August were delayed.
According to NCAA operational data for August 2026, domestic airlines operated 7,961 flights during the month, of which 4,765 were delayed, representing about 59.8 percent of total operations. The data also showed that 36 flights were cancelled.
The regulator said the high level of disruptions had become more concerning because of airlines’ alleged failure to meet their obligations to passengers when delays and cancellations occur.
Michael Achimugu, director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, said airlines were increasingly disregarding provisions of Part 19 of the Civil Aviation Regulations, which stipulate the duties of airlines to passengers during flight disruptions.
Achimugu said while flight disruptions were inevitable in aviation, airlines were required to provide timely information and appropriate care to affected passengers.
‘We all know that disruptions must happen. Anywhere in the world, no amount of emotional blackmail will lead me to say anything else.
‘However, we also know that when these disruptions happen, there are duties of care and there are processes for passenger handling that the airline needs to carry out. In this regard, the airline unequivocally has failed,’ he said
According to him, one of the major problems was the failure of airlines to provide passengers with timely information, a situation he said often escalated into anger and confrontation at airports.
He said airline staff frequently withdrew from airports when disruptions became severe, leaving NCAA personnel to manage angry passengers.
‘Every time there’s a major crisis, there’s fear of resorting to violence; their staff, they disappear,’ Achimugu said.
He said the regulator had on several occasions intervened personally at airports to prevent situations from escalating, despite passenger management being primarily the responsibility of the airlines.
The NCAA official also raised concerns over unresolved refund claims, saying some airlines had failed to honour assurances on faster refunds.
‘Despite the assurances from the chairman that they now have a 48-hour refund policy, we have a large volume of unresolved refund cases,’ he said.
Achimugu further accused airlines of determining compensation for affected passengers in ways that do not comply with regulatory requirements.
He said the regulations prescribe compensation for passengers who are denied boarding because of overbooking, but some airlines instead offer discounts on future tickets.
‘All the airline does is offer the passenger 25 percent rebate on your next ticket, not minding whether that passenger ever wants to fly the airline again or not,’ he said.
The NCAA also faulted airlines over the provision of refreshments and meals during prolonged delays.
Achimugu said the regulations require airlines to provide light refreshments after two hours of delay and a proper meal after six hours.
‘Two hours into the delay, you must offer light refreshment. Six hours into that delay, you must offer a proper meal,’ he said.
He said airlines sometimes kept passengers at airports for several hours without providing the required meals or other forms of assistance.
The regulator also criticised airlines for failing to communicate anticipated delays early enough, particularly in situations where aircraft were already known to be unavailable.
Achimugu said airlines should notify passengers before they leave home when they already know that a flight cannot operate as scheduled.
‘If someone has, say, a 2pm flight, you already know you’re not going to make that flight. Why not let them know on time not to bother coming to the airport till, say, 10pm?’ he said.
He said such failures were particularly difficult for families travelling with children, who could spend several hours waiting at airports before being informed that their flights had been cancelled.
On accommodation, Achimugu said airlines had also failed to comply with their obligations when cancellations extend into the night.
He cited an instance where an airline cancelled a flight late at night after the NCAA had advised it to do so earlier, but subsequently failed to provide accommodation for affected passengers.
The August operational data showed significant differences in the performance of domestic carriers.
Umza Air recorded the lowest delay rate among the airlines listed, with 52 delays out of 403 flights, representing 12.9 per cent.
Xe Jet recorded a 31.5 per cent delay rate, followed by Binani at 38.6 per cent, Rano Air at 42.9 per cent, and Ibom Air at 45.4 per cent.
Green Africa recorded 50.4 per cent, while Aero Contractors recorded 52.5 per cent. ValueJet had a 56.7 per cent delay rate, Overland 58.2 per cent, and Max Air 60.7 per cent.
Arik Air recorded 62.5 percent, while Enugu Air recorded 66.3 percent.
Air Peace, which operated the highest number of flights among the major carriers listed, recorded 1,330 delays out of 1,864 flights, representing 71.4 per cent.
United Nigeria Airlines recorded the highest delay rate among the listed carriers, with 943 delays out of 1,231 flights, representing 76.6 percent.
The figures highlight the scale of operational disruptions facing domestic aviation and the growing pressure on airlines and the regulator to improve schedule reliability and passenger handling.
Achimugu also raised concerns about repeated explanations for disruptions, including bird strikes, saying airlines needed to provide credible explanations for recurring operational problems rather than rely on broad justifications.
He said the NCAA would continue to hold airlines accountable for compliance with passenger protection requirements, stressing that operational disruptions did not absolve carriers of their responsibilities to passengers.