The NCAA has directed airlines to provide hotel accommodations for passengers stranded overnight due to delays or cancellations, warning of sanctions and a government-backed “name and shame” policy for violators.
ABUJA – The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has ordered airlines to provide hotel accommodations for passengers stranded between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. due to flight delays or cancellations, warning that offenders will be publicly named and sanctioned.
Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, said the directive followed federal government instructions to improve passenger welfare and enforce strict compliance with aviation regulations.
“If an airline has kept passengers at the terminal up to 00 hours before cancelling a flight, they owe their passengers hotel accommodation,” Achimugu stated. He warned that the authority would no longer tolerate airline staff abandoning travelers and leaving NCAA officials to handle aggrieved passengers.
“The situation where airline staff intentionally disappear, leaving NCAA Consumer Protection Officers to handle justifiably irate and frustrated passengers will no longer be tolerated,” he said.
Achimugu stressed that “naming and shaming” of erring airlines will commence immediately, noting that sanctions would be applied to the fullest extent of the law.
“The NCAA expects operators to comply with regulations in the event of a disruption. For sanctionable infractions, the Authority will apply the fullest measures possible,” he added.
The move aims to strengthen accountability and ensure Nigerian airlines provide world-class service.
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