The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has cautioned domestic airlines against violating the official 14-day ticket refund policy, warning that misleading passengers with longer timelines is a breach of aviation regulations and unfair to consumers.
The warning was issued by Michael Achimugu, the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, in a statement shared on X on Monday.
Achimugu said the agency received reports that some airlines were informing passengers that refunds could take up to four weeks, contrary to the provisions of Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023, which mandate completion within 14 days.
“Domestic airlines need to stop telling passengers that their refund process takes four weeks. The NCAA regulations are clear about the timeframe for ticket refunds — it is 14 days. Operators cannot create their own rules in this regard,” Achimugu stated.
He urged affected passengers to forward evidence of delayed refunds or communications from airlines to michael.achimugu@ncaa.gov.ng, ifueko.abdulmalik@ncaa.gov.ng, or cpd@ncaa.gov.ng for regulatory intervention.
The NCAA reiterated that any attempt by airlines to impose extended refund periods undermines regulatory authority and violates consumer protection standards established to ensure fairness in air travel operations.
