NCAA has ordered Air Peace to compensate passengers over Lagos-Enugu flight delay.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed Air Peace to provide compensation for passengers affected by a delayed Lagos-Enugu flight after its preliminary investigation found that the airline sent passengers an incorrect notification about the flight.
The intervention followed a complaint by human rights lawyer and activist, Inibehe Effiong, who accused the airline of poor handling of the disruption after the flight scheduled for Monday morning was delayed until the evening.
Effiong said he arrived at Terminal One of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, at about 5:50am for the scheduled 6:45am flight, having checked in the previous night.
According to him, the airline later informed passengers that the flight had been delayed until 4:50pm, a development he said would make him miss a scheduled court appearance in Enugu State.
Effiong also alleged that Air Peace sent passengers a reminder at about 2:01am on Monday asking them to report early for the flight, despite the airline allegedly knowing that the flight would not operate as scheduled.
He subsequently criticised the aviation authorities over what he described as inadequate action against repeated flight disruptions.
Responding to his complaint on X, NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said the regulator would investigate the matter, adding that the disruption appeared to have resulted from a ripple effect of problems experienced the previous night.
Achimugu said the NCAA had recently advised Air Peace to maintain a buffer aircraft to minimise the impact of severe operational disruptions.
Following the investigation, the NCAA official disclosed that the airline’s Station Manager and Duty Manager confirmed that the wrong message had been sent to affected passengers.
“The Station Manager and Duty Manager have confirmed that the messages sent out was the one you received, and that it was done in error,” Achimugu said.
He added that passengers should have been informed that the flight had been rescheduled.
According to the NCAA, Air Peace claimed that affected passengers were taken to a hotel where they would receive care until boarding time. The regulator said it was still verifying the claim.
The authority subsequently directed the airline to prepare a compensation package for the affected passengers in line with Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
“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,” Achimugu said.
He stressed that timely and accurate communication was essential in handling flight disruptions, noting that sending the wrong notification did not constitute a force majeure event.
Achimugu said Air Peace would not face sanctions if it provided the required compensation and duty of care to passengers, but warned that heavier sanctions could follow if the airline failed to comply.
NCAA, Air Peace dispute August delay figures
The latest dispute comes amid a wider disagreement between the NCAA and Air Peace over the regulator’s August 2026 flight disruption data.
The NCAA reported that Air Peace recorded 1,330 delayed flights out of 1,864 operations in August, representing 71.4 per cent. The regulator said domestic airlines collectively operated 7,961 flights during the month, of which 4,765 were delayed.
Air Peace has disputed the figures, saying it operated 2,564 flights in August and that the NCAA’s data excluded more than 700 flights. The airline said only 391 of its delays, representing about 15 per cent of its August operations, were caused by internal factors.
The airline attributed other disruptions to factors including industrial action, weather conditions, airport infrastructure limitations and technical issues.
Meanwhile, the NCAA has continued to emphasise the need for airlines to improve contingency planning, maintain adequate operational buffers and provide timely information to passengers.
For the affected Lagos-Enugu passengers, the regulator’s directive means Air Peace is expected to determine and communicate the compensation package in line with the applicable passenger protection regulations.
