Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has threatened tough sanctions against Qatar Airways and Saudi Air for allegedly breaching consumer protection regulations and disrespecting Nigerian passengers.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement on Friday, Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s director of public affairs and consumer protection, accused Qatar Airways of repeatedly disregarding Part 19 of NCAA Regulations 2023, which outlines passenger rights.
He cited a recent case where a Nigerian passenger was arrested and detained for 18 hours in Doha after a cabin crew member accused him of harassment during boarding in Lagos.
According to Achimugu, the incident caused mental, physical, and psychological trauma to the man’s wife, who was with him throughout the boarding process.
Achimugu said, “The airline @qatarairways has carried on as though Nigerian passengers and the NCAA are not deserving of their respect, dignified treatment, and compliance with Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023. This will be brought to a stop immediately.”
He further alleged that the detained passenger was forced to sign a document written only in Arabic and later denied boarding to his final destination, compelling him to purchase another ticket at significant personal cost.
Achimugu also accused Qatar Airways of ignoring NCAA’s letters of investigation and avoiding regulatory meetings, stressing that the agency will no longer tolerate contempt for Nigerian laws while airlines comply with regulations elsewhere.
He added that Royal Air Maroc and Saudi Air have also been cautioned over certain infractions and risk severe penalties if they fail to comply with NCAA’s directives.
The NCAA official warned, “NCAA will apply stiff sanctions against any airline that continuously disrespects Nigeria’s aviation laws.”
He concluded by reaffirming the regulator’s commitment to protecting both passengers and airlines.
