By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The Nigeria Civil Aviation
Authority (NCAA) has directed United Nigeria Airlines to improve its flight
operations, comply strictly with passenger rights regulations and stop
expanding its routes beyond the capacity of its current fleet.
The directive was issued by
the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, during a
consultative meeting with the airline’s management at the NCAA Corporate
Headquarters in Abuja.
Najomo said the regulator’s
framework is not intended to drive airlines out of business but is designed to
ensure that aviation operators maintain sustainable, efficient and lawful
operations.
He warned the airline
against operating beyond its available capacity at the expense of passengers
and criticised recent operational failures that resulted in passengers being
stranded without adequate communication or assistance.
The Director of Public
Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, raised concerns over what he
described as the airline’s systematic failure to comply with operational and
consumer protection requirements under Part 19 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation
Regulations (Nig. CARs), 2023.
Achimugu also criticised the
airline’s communication with passengers, particularly in relation to flight
delays and ticket refunds. He described the recent disruptions as “gross” and
said the regulator would no longer tolerate such violations.
The Director of Operations,
Licensing and Training Standards, Capt. Donald Spiff, instructed the airline to
reduce the number of active routes whenever it experiences an
Aircraft-On-Ground (AOG) situation.
He also warned the carrier
to comply with established regulatory requirements when introducing new
destinations, particularly where fleet capacity may not support additional
routes.
The NCAA’s intervention
follows recent flight disruptions involving United Nigeria Airlines and
concerns over the impact of operational constraints on passengers.
In response, United Nigeria
Airlines apologised for the disruptions and committed to resolving all
outstanding ticket-refund cases within 14 days, in line with the prescribed
refund timeline.
