NCAA fines Qatar Airways N5m for violating consumer rights

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has fined Qatar Airways N5 million for consumer protection infractions.

The Authority’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu said this on his X handle on Wednesday, where he revealed that the airline repeatedly failed to comply with the NCAA’s determinations and letters of investigation (LOI).

He said: “Glad to announce that, today, the NCAA has sanctioned Qatar Airways to the tune of five million naira being penalty for consumer protection-related infractions. In addition, the letters of investigation (LOI) written to the airline over other cases may lead to further sanctions if not treated satisfactorily. As always, the NCAA is committed to protecting the rights of all stakeholders.”

Achimugu had on September 19, 2025, accused the airline of disrespecting a Nigerian passenger and the NCAA. He said a member of Qatar Airways cabin crew had claimed that while she was wheeling a passenger during boarding for a flight from Lagos to the United States via Doha, a male passenger who was travelling with his wife had touched her backside.

The NCAA spokesperson said she did not report this incident in Lagos but on arrival in Doha, she made an allegation against this passenger, leading to his arrest and detention for about 18 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. The authorities in Doha made the man pay a hefty fine and forced him to sign a document written only in Arabic! Desperate for freedom to proceed on his journey to the US, the passenger signed a document which contents he did not understand,” Achimugu said.

He said despite this, the airline refused to fly him to his final destination, as he had to buy tickets from another airline and proceed at great financial and reputational cost. “Upon invitation by the NCAA, the airline’s country manager, who has a penchant for evading meetings with the NCAA, only sent his subordinates to attend. However, the NCAA made a determination on that matter along with others. As has become typical of Qatar Airways, 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,” Achimugu said.

The NCAA spokesperson that some countries do not have advanced aviation consumer protection regulations like Nigeria which creates a situation where airlines operating out of those countries (mostly national carriers) act with disdain towards consumer protection enforcement in Nigeria.

“This is not a situation that we would accept here. It is against the law for any airlines not to respond to the NCAA. It is against the law to provide false information to the NCAA. It is against the law to fail to comply with the provisions of Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.

“When Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) are signed, they must be respected by both parties. Every airline is expected to, upon approval to operate in Nigeria, understand and comply with consumer protection regulations. To continue to treat our laws with contempt while respecting regulations across Europe and elsewhere is not ideal and must be bought to a complete and final stop.

“This department protects the airlines as much as it protects passengers. The DGCA, Captain Chris Najomo, has never minced words about his position on consumer protection issues, and we will apply appropriate and stiff penalties against the airlines that, in perpetuity, fail to comply,” he emphasized.