The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has cautioned domestic airlines against telling passengers that ticket refunds take four weeks, stressing that this contradicts its regulation, which mandates refunds within 14 days.
The agency also encouraged passengers who were given such four-week refund assurances to share the communications with NCAA officials for further investigation.
This warning was issued in a statement on Monday by the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, via X.
“Domestic airlines NEED to stop telling passengers that their refund process takes 4 weeks. There can’t be two captains-in-command on an aircraft.
“The NCAA regulations are clear about the timeframe for ticket refunds, and it is 14 days. Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023 remains in force. Operators cannot create a different rule in this regard.
“To all passengers: if you apply for a refund and an airline tells you that it would take 4 weeks, kindly forward that communication to michael.achimugu@ncaa.gov.ngifueko.abdulmalik@ncaa.gov.ng cpd@ncaa.gov.ng immediately”
He added, “We cannot all claim to be working for the improvement of the industry and be duplicating rules in a manner that undermines the Authority and is unfair to passengers.”
The reminder comes amid mounting passenger complaints about delayed refunds following cancellations and disruptions.
The NCAA has, in recent months, said it would sanction airlines that fail to process refunds within the timeframe set out in its regulations, describing timely refunds as a “low-hanging fruit” that airlines should prioritise.