The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued a stern warning to domestic airlines to desist from informing passengers that ticket refunds take up to four weeks, insisting that such claims violate existing aviation regulations.
In a statement released on Monday via X (formerly Twitter), the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, reiterated that the official refund timeline is 14 days, as stipulated in Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
“Domestic airlines NEED to stop telling passengers that their refund process takes 4 weeks. The NCAA regulations are clear — the timeframe for ticket refunds is 14 days,” Achimugu stated. “Operators cannot create a different rule in this regard.”
The agency urged passengers who have received such four-week refund promises to report the communications to the NCAA for investigation. Reports should be sent directly to [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected].
“We cannot all claim to be working for the improvement of the industry and then duplicate rules in ways that undermine the Authority and are unfair to passengers,” Achimugu added.
This reminder follows growing complaints from air travellers over refund delays after flight cancellations and disruptions. The NCAA had previously warned it would sanction airlines that fail to comply with the refund window, describing timely refunds as a “low-hanging fruit” airlines must prioritise to rebuild passenger trust and maintain industry integrity.
