NCAA to sanction airlines for deceptive departure times

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that it will impose sanctions on airlines that deceitfully schedule departure times.

Acting Director-General of the NCAA, Chris Najomo, made this clear in a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs/Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, on Tuesday.

The NCAA has warned airlines to cease this practice or face strict regulatory actions. “The NCAA now runs a zero-tolerance approach to regulatory infractions,” the statement read.

Emphasizing the importance of easing business operations, Najomo stated, “Ease of doing business is the crux of the D-G’s 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.”

Najomo further highlighted that while the NCAA facilitates a business-friendly environment, airlines must in turn provide superior services to passengers. He added, “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 D-GCA has directed monitoring and offenders will face serious regulatory actions.”

The NCAA’s commitment to safety, discipline, and economic regulation is evident in its recent suspension of ten permits for Non-Commercial Flights (PHCF) holders who failed to comply with the recertification advisory issued in April 2024.

Najomo underscored the importance of a business-friendly environment, highlighting the NCAA’s high score on the Presidential Enabling Business Council (PEBEC) ranking. He mentioned, “Recently our sister agency scored 96 percent but the NCAA scored 98.5 percent which is an extremely high score.

This is building from the commendable score of 71.04 percent 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.”

Regarding the issue of airline refunds, Najomo stated that all refunds must be processed within 14 working days, regardless of the ticket purchase method.

Explaining the suspension of ten operators’ PHCF licenses, Najomo noted that they had been advised to begin the recertification process since April 2024 but failed to comply, leaving the NCAA no choice but to sanction them.

Addressing recent allegations about the suspension of the 10 PHCFs, Najomo described these claims as based on ignorance or mischief and affirmed that the NCAA’s actions are guided by the Civil Aviation Act 2022. He stressed that the NCAA’s actions are part of its mandate to ensure compliance with civil aviation law and related regulations.

The NCAA reiterated its commitment to sanitizing the sector by eliminating illegal charter operators, ensuring a safer and more secure aviation industry.