*Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, directs Air Peace to develop a compensation package for affected passengers, and to inform the authority in good time, in compliance with Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023
Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect
Sequel to its preliminary investigation confirming the airline’s wrong notification to passengers, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed Air Peace to compensate passengers affected by a delayed Lagos-Enugu flight last Monday.
ConsumerConnect reports Inibehe Effiong, a human rights activist and lawyer, had accused Air Peace of irresponsibility and impunity after his Lagos-Enugu flight was delayed until the evening of the scheduled flight date.
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Effiong, in a post on X Monday, has written that the flight delay would cause him to miss a scheduled court appearance, in Enugu State.
Responding to Effiong’s complaints, Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NCAA, however, said the Authority would look into the disruption.
He also rejected the affected passenger’s claim that the aviation regulator was incapable of tackling the airline over the operational infraction.
Achimugu, in an X port also, wrote the Authority could not be described as incapable simply because a passenger’s flight was disrupted in the country.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection also stated: “The NCAA cannot treat cases in advance. It is not a miracle centre and cannot tell that a disruption would happen BEFORE it happens.
“When it does happen, you report to the NCAA.”
He, therefore, expressed empathy with Effiong, stating, “This is not how we want the industry to be.”
Achimugu further assured the passenger that the NCAA would investigate the disruption.
He equally noted that from Effiong’s account, it appeared to be a “ripple effect from yesterday’s disruption.”
The NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection recalled: “Just last week, we urged the airline to ensure to have a buffer aircraft to mitigate extreme disruptions, especially given recent events.
“I will reach out to them and find out what happened.”
In his follow-up message to Effiong after the Authority’s investigation, Achimugu said the flight was disrupted due to the ripple effects of Sunday night’s disruptions.
The airline ought to have notified passengers scheduled to fly that morning, that the flight had been rescheduled, said Achimugu.
He stated that a senior Management staff member of the airline claimed the passengers were informed, but Effiong countered that the notification he received asked passengers to come early for the flight.
Incidentally, the lawyer-passenger had sent the NCAA a screenshot of the message.
The Director wrote: “The Station Manager and Duty Manager have confirmed that the message sent out was the one you received, and that it was done in error.”
He added that both officials admitted that passengers on the flight should have been told about the reschedule.
The Authority further disclosed that Air Peace claimed to have taken the affected passengers to a hotel, where they would be provided care until boarding time, but the authority was still trying to confirm this as of the time of filing this report.
Achimugu, however, said the NCAA had asked the affected airline, in compliance with Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023, to develop a compensation package for the affected passengers and to inform the authority in good time.
He stated: “We have asked that the airline, in compliance with Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023, come up with a compensation package for affected passengers and let us know in good time.
“Timely and honest information is key, and there was a gap in this regard,” Achimugu said. “Sending the wrong notification was not a force majeure incident.”
According to him, the airline would not be sanctioned, if it provided compensation and duty of care to the passengers.
He, nonetheless, warned that heavy sanctions would follow, if it failed to do so.
Achimugu said sanctions were not the automatic response to every disruption because rules guided their application, adding that he would post a video explaining the point.
Expressing empathy with Effiong, the NCAA stated: “You should not have been told to come to the airport for a flight that was not going to operate.”
One flight delay cum cancellation too many
In regard to the NCAA summary of domestic airline disruptions for August 2026, 15 carriers operated 7,961 flights, of which 4,765 were delayed, and 36 were cancelled, while Air Peace was listed with 1,330 delays out of 1,864 flights, or 71.4 percent.
Air Peace, however, disputed the figures, saying it operated 2,564 flights in the month and that the NCAA’s data left out over 700 flights, according to report.
The airline also explained that internal factors accounted for only about 15 percent of its delays.
Earlier, Effiong was said to have explained that he arrived at Terminal One of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, at about 5:50 a.m. to join the airline’s 6:45 am flight, having checked in the previous night.
He related his experience: “I am scheduled to appear in court in Enugu State this morning for a case that is slated for a definite hearing.”
The passenger said he became suspicious when the airline called only passengers scheduled to fly to Enugu and Owerri on Sunday, while those scheduled to depart on Monday were asked to wait.
“Apparently, they cancelled yesterday’s flight to Enugu,” he said.
The passengers were kept waiting for about an hour before airline staff announced that the flight had been delayed until 4:50 p.m.
Effiong also claimed that Air Peace sent a second reminder to passengers at 2:01 a.m. Monday, despite knowing the flight would not depart as scheduled.
According to him, he met two other lawyers billed to travel on the same flight, one of whom also had a court hearing in Enugu that morning.
He added that the two other airlines that fly the route, United Nigeria and Enugu Air, had only afternoon flights.
Effiong lamented: “I lost sound sleep, wasted my resources on flights and taxis (by the way, I already booked my return flight with United Nigeria slated for 3:20 PM today), and I am going to miss a sensitive court appearance.”
Air Peace takes passengers for granted, alleges Effiong
Recalling his experience with the airline, Effiong as well accused Air Peace of taking passengers “for granted endlessly” on account of its large fleet, and possibly occasional role in repatriating stranded Nigerians from other parts of the world.
He also faulted the aviation regulators.
Effiong reportedly wrote in a post: “The regulators of the aviation industry are complicit in the impunity of Air Peace.
“The Minister of Aviation, @fkeyamo, has been doing PR for this airline instead of holding them accountable. @NigeriaCAA and @FAAN_Official have demonstrated that they’re incapable of tackling the arrogance of this airline.”
Citing NCAA data, he said Air Peace delayed 71 per cent of its flights in August 2026, recording 1,330 delays out of 1,864 flights, and added that “no sanctions were imposed.”
He added: “No country that is serious about economic development will condone such ineptitude.”