Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has warned airlines against giving passengers false or misleading information during flight delays, especially those arising from fuel supply problems. Michael Achimugu, NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, made the appeal on Tuesday, urging transparency so travellers can make informed choices. On his official X page, Achimugu said airlines must disclose when delays are due to fuelling challenges rather than offering repeated assurances of imminent departure. He condemned the practice of keeping passengers at airports from morning until late at night under false hope, only to cancel flights or operate them at hours that compromise safety upon arrival.
Achimugu emphasized that delays affect a wide range of travellers, including government officials, students, businesspeople and those with urgent appointments like visa interviews. He cited the responsibility of airline operators to reduce passenger inconvenience, even when disruptions are beyond their direct control. Airlines were told not to attribute delays to incidents like bird strikes when the real cause is fuel unavailability, nor to promise take-offs within 30 minutes without certainty. The NCAA also reminded operators of their obligation to provide HOTAC—hotel accommodation for affected passengers—when delays extend past 10 p.m.
Director-General of Civil Aviation Chris Najomo expressed concern over the trend and ordered closer monitoring of airline operations, according to Achimugu. The warning comes amid persistent flight disruptions in Nigeria linked to fuel logistics and broader operational constraints in the aviation sector.
Michael Achimugu's public rebuke of airlines over deceptive delay explanations reveals a deeper crisis of accountability in Nigeria's aviation sector—one where passenger trust is routinely eroded by vague excuses and broken timelines. The directive to stop citing "bird strike" when the real issue is fuel shortage is not merely about semantics; it exposes how airlines often resort to implausible alibis to mask systemic failures in planning and logistics.
Behind this warning lies a fragile aviation ecosystem hobbled by inconsistent fuel supply, poor coordination between service providers, and weak enforcement of consumer protection standards. The fact that passengers—including officials and professionals—are stranded for hours without accurate information suggests that operational transparency is treated as optional rather than mandatory. Achimugu's emphasis on providing HOTAC after 10 p.m. underscores a basic expectation that is frequently ignored, revealing how far norms of customer care have deteriorated.
Ordinary Nigerians bear the brunt of these lapses, especially those who cannot afford last-minute hotel bookings or alternative transport when flights collapse. Business travellers risk missed deals, students may miss exams, and families face emotional and financial strain.
This is not an isolated pattern but part of a recurring cycle of poor service delivery across Nigeria's critical infrastructure, where regulatory warnings often precede action by years, if they lead to any at all.
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