The National Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued a stern warning to domestic airlines operating in Nigeria over delays in processing passenger refunds.

According to Michael Achimugu, the NCAA spokesperson, airlines that inform passengers that refunds take up to four weeks are violating aviation regulations.

In a post shared via his X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, October 13, Achimugu clarified that the law requires refunds to be completed within 14 days.

“Domestic airlines NEED to stop telling passengers that their refund process takes 4 weeks,” he wrote.
“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.”

Achimugu emphasized that the NCAA remains the sole regulatory authority in the aviation industry, and airlines have no right to impose different timelines on passengers.

“There can't be two captains-in-command on an aircraft,” he stated, warning airlines against duplicating rules that undermine the Authority or unfairly treat passengers.

He also urged affected passengers to report violations by forwarding any such communication from airlines to the NCAA through the following emails:
📧 michael.achimugu@ncaa.gov.ng
📧 ifueko.abdulmalik@ncaa.gov.ng
📧 cpd@ncaa.gov.ng

“Enough of this,” Achimugu 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.”

This announcement comes amid growing complaints from air travelers across Nigeria about delayed refunds and poor customer service by local carriers.