The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) imposes fines of $170 or ₦10,000 for delayed passenger luggage, aiming to improve airline accountability.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has pledged to implement strict actions against airlines that cause delays in passengers’ luggage.
The regulatory agency announced that it plans to impose fines of $170 on foreign airlines and N10,000 on local airlines for delayed passenger luggage as an initial step to prevent such occurrences.
In October in Abuja, the NCAA announced that passengers are eligible to claim up to $1,000 for lost luggage on domestic flights and $1,288 Special Drawing Rights for international flights.
On Monday, during a roadshow at Lagos airport organized by the NCAA to raise awareness among travelers for the yuletide season, Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, assured that the regulatory agency would fully enforce sanctions against any non-compliant airlines.
Achimugu expressed regret that, for a significant duration, many air travelers remained unaware of their rights, allowing airlines to persist in violating them.
The NCAA spokesperson stated that the roadshow would increase public awareness of their rights under the NCAA acts and inform them about where to direct any complaints.
He stated, “For far too long, Nigerians have claimed ignorance about the existence and responsibilities of the NCAA. Our obligation to Nigerians is to raise awareness in the industry. Passengers need to become more informed about their rights so that airlines do not continue exploiting them.”
Many passengers are unaware of certain details regarding regulations. For example, if you arrive at an airport and your luggage hasn’t arrived with you, most people don’t realize they have the right to request compensation from the airline.
“If you’re on a domestic flight, you can approach the airline’s counter to claim your compensation of N10,000 for not having your bag with you. For international flights, the amount is $170. Many passengers are unaware of this policy, but today we aim to break that cycle by presenting these regulations to Nigerians in an engaging way.”
To simplify the reporting process for passengers, Achimugui directed their attention to the newly launched NCAA website. He emphasized that this portal has increased passenger awareness and led to a rise in complaints.
He mentioned that the portal had also prompted the airlines to be more vigilant.
In addition to Lagos, Achimugu mentioned that the roadshow and stakeholders’ summit would also take place at airports in Abuja and Port Harcourt.
In the meantime, according to an executive summary reviewed by our correspondent, Air France reported the highest number of missing baggage cases among international airlines flying into Nigeria, with a total of 2,075 incidents.
Following this were KLM with 1,938 flights; Egypt Air at 1,850; Royal Air Maroc with a total of 1,745; British Airways reporting 1,428 flights; Lufthansa with an operation count of 1.535; Kenya Airways accounted for 1346 trips and Delta Airlines completed the list with a figure of 1109.
According to the NCAA’s summary, a minimum of 19,274 passengers’ luggage from both international and domestic airlines were reported as delayed or missing in the first half of 2024.
