By Abisola Adigun

Copyright tribuneonlineng

…threatens to sanction Qatar airways, others over non compliance with regulations

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has cautioned foreign airlines against violating the country’s aviation laws.

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NCAA, Michael Achimugu, in a post on X, accused Qatar Airways of disregarding Nigerian passengers and regulatory provisions.

According to him, “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 narrated how a cabin crew member accused a Nigerian passenger of misconduct during boarding on a Lagos–Doha–US flight.

“She did not report this incident in Lagos. On arrival in Doha, she made an allegation against this passenger, leading to his arrest and detention for about eighteen hours.

“During the period, his wife suffered mental, physical, and psychological trauma without any form of care.

“She wondered how her husband could have committed such a despicable infraction given that she was with him throughout the boarding process,” he said.

Achimugu explained that the passenger was fined in Doha and forced to sign a document written only in Arabic before being released. Despite this, he was denied onward travel and had to buy another ticket at great cost.

He also faulted Qatar Airways’ engagement with the NCAA, saying the airline’s country manager avoids meetings and sends representatives instead.

“However, the NCAA made a determination on that matter along with others. As has become typical of @qatarairways, they failed to comply with all determinations made from that meeting. They have also failed to treat subsequent complaints from other passengers escalated to them by the CAA, including a total silence upon receipt of a letter of investigation (LOI) sent to them by the NCAA,” he stated.

Achimugu stressed that all airlines operating in Nigeria must comply with the country’s consumer protection regulations under Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.

He added: “To continue to treat our laws with contempt while respecting regulations across Europe and elsewhere is not ideal and must be brought to a complete and final stop.”

He further noted that the NCAA protects both passengers and airlines but warned that those who fail to comply will face strict penalties.

“In the same vein, Royal Air Maroc and Saudi Air have also been properly advised about certain infractions and, failing to comply with the determinations of the CAA, will be sanctioned heavily,” he said.

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