NCAA Takes Action, Fines International Airline N15 Million Over Passenger Complaint
- The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority fined RwandAir N15 million for failing to settle a passenger's baggage complaint within the required timeframe
- Beyond the fine, NCAA ordered RwandAir to replace the passenger's damaged bag and pay $170 in first-need compensation under its 2023 regulations
- The sanction follows a wider crackdown in which NCAA penalised five other airlines in December 2024 for similar consumer protection breaches
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Legit.ng journalist Victor Enengedi has over a decade's experience covering energy, MSMEs, technology, banking and the economy.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has imposed a N15 million fine on RwandAir after the airline failed to resolve a passenger's baggage complaint within the deadline set by Nigerian aviation regulations.
Michael Achimugu, director of public affairs and consumer protection at the NCAA, announced the penalty on Friday, September 11, 2026, via a post on X.
Source: UGC
Achimugu wrote:
"The NCAA has sanctioned RwandAir for consumer protection-related infractions.
"The airline has been fined a sum of FIFTEEN MILLION NAIRA for its failure to resolve a baggage issue within stipulated timeframe."
Beyond the financial penalty, the NCAA ordered RwandAir to replace the passenger's damaged bag and pay $170 as first-need compensation, both requirements under Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
NCAA's broader crackdown on airlines
The RwandAir sanction is part of a sustained enforcement push by the NCAA. In December 2024, the authority penalised five carriers — Air Peace, Ethiopian Airlines, Arik Air, Aero Contractors, and Royal Air Maroc — for breaching the same Part 19 regulations.
Those violations covered a range of issues, including failure to refund passengers on time, non-responsiveness to NCAA directives, missing and mishandled luggage, short-landed baggage, and problems related to flight delays and cancellations.
The NCAA also previously sanctioned Saudi Airlines with a N6 million penalty for consumer protection violations, citing the carrier's failure to resolve pending passenger complaints and comply with the authority's rulings even after receiving extra time to do so.
Source: Getty Images
On February 11, 2025, the aviation authority warned that more airlines would face penalties if they continued to disregard consumer protection rules, signalling that the ongoing enforcement exercise would not be limited to a single wave of sanctions.
Source: Legit.ng
