The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA) has summoned Nigeria’s biggest airline, Air Peace, to an urgent meeting following what it described as a series of “unexplained disruptions,” including complaints from passengers who were allegedly stranded after a flight diversion involving the airline’s London route.
In a statement posted on his X account on Saturday, Michael Achimugu, the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, revealed the situation.
Achimugu claims that the airline has been instructed to show up to the NCAA offices on Monday in order to resolve the interruptions, including the grievances raised by travellers on the carrier’s Heathrow-Abuja service.
Achimugu said, “Air Peace has been summoned to the NCAA headquarters for an urgent meeting on Monday with regard to a number of unexplained disruptions.”
The most recent case according to him, involves travellers who boarded a flight from London with the intention of landing in Abuja but were instead redirected through several airports.
He said, “Complaints were received today from passengers on the Heathrow-Abuja flight who were rerouted via Gatwick-Lagos-Abuja and left stranded in Lagos.”
In addition to the flight diversion by Air Peace, Achimugu stated that the aviation authorities had been notified of unresolved compensation difficulties and delayed payments.
He emphasised that circumstances in which passengers are abandoned or left without assistance would not be accepted by the regulator.
“The above, along with cases of delayed refunds, compensations and first needs, has activated the Consumer Protection Department of the NCAA.
“We will not tolerate any abandonment of paying passengers. While the Authority continues to support domestic carriers, we hold all operators to the strictest standards,” Achimugu warned.
The statement added that “An investigation into these disruptions will be conducted and appropriate action taken as usual.
“The NCAA, as the sole regulatory agency for civil aviation in Nigeria, remains committed to protecting the rights of all stakeholders,” Achimugu said.
