The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has ordered Air Peace to develop a compensation package for passengers affected by a delayed Lagos-Enugu flight. This decision follows a preliminary investigation into complaints by passengers, including human rights activist and lawyer Inibehe Effiong. Effiong accused the airline of irresponsibility after his scheduled morning flight from Lagos to Enugu was delayed until the evening, preventing him from attending a court hearing.
Effiong detailed his experience, stating he arrived at Terminal One of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, at 5:50 a.m. on Monday for the 6:45 a.m. Air Peace flight, having checked in the previous night. He expressed concern when passengers scheduled to travel to Enugu and Owerri on Sunday were called by the airline, while Monday passengers were asked to wait. The lawyer claimed passengers were kept waiting for about an hour before being informed that their flight had been rescheduled to 4:50 p.m.
According to Effiong, Air Peace sent passengers a reminder at 2:01 a.m. on Monday asking them to come for the flight, despite allegedly knowing that it would not operate at the scheduled time. This move was criticized by Effiong, who also cited NCAA data showing that Air Peace recorded 1,330 delays out of 1,864 flights in August 2026. He alleged that no sanctions were imposed over the reported delays and accused regulators of failing to hold the airline accountable.
Responding to Effiong's complaint, NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection Michael Achimugu stated that the authority would investigate the incident. Achimugu attributed the disruption to a ripple effect following disruptions to the airline's operations on Sunday. He mentioned that the NCAA had recently urged Air Peace to maintain a buffer aircraft to help mitigate major operational disruptions.
Following the investigation, Achimugu revealed that the airline should have informed passengers scheduled to travel on Monday morning that their flight had been rescheduled. An airline management official initially claimed passengers had been informed, but Effiong provided the NCAA with a screenshot showing that the message he received asked him to report early for the scheduled flight. The Station Manager and Duty Manager confirmed that the messages sent out were done in error.
The NCAA directed Air Peace, in line with Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023, to prepare a compensation package for the affected passengers and notify the authority accordingly. Achimugu emphasized that timely and honest information is key, and there was a gap in this regard. He added that sending the wrong notification did not constitute a force majeure incident and warned that heavier sanctions could follow if the airline failed to meet its obligations.
The NCAA's August 2026 summary of domestic airline operations showed that 15 carriers operated 7,961 flights during the month, with 4,765 delayed and 36 cancelled. Air Peace was listed with 1,330 delays out of 1,864 flights, representing 71.4 per cent. However, Air Peace disputed the figures, saying it operated 2,564 flights during the month and that more than 700 flights were omitted from the NCAA's data.
Key points
- Air Peace was ordered to compensate passengers affected by a delayed Lagos-Enugu flight.
- The airline sent incorrect notifications to passengers, leading to the delay.
- The NCAA warned of heavier sanctions if Air Peace fails to meet its obligations.
