A Federal High Court has affirmed that the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has the statutory authority to investigate consumer complaints concerning Air Peace’s ticket pricing.

The Commission made this disclosure in a statement issued on Friday following a judgment delivered by the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.

The court ruled that the FCCPC’s authority to investigate complaints about pricing is distinct from its power to regulate prices, clarifying that requesting information from an airline as part of an investigation does not amount to imposing price controls.

According to the FCCPC, Justice B.F.M. Nyako dismissed a suit filed by Air Peace, affirming the Commission’s statutory authority to investigate consumer complaints over alleged exploitative ticket pricing.

The court held that the FCCPC acted within its statutory investigative powers under Sections 17, 32, and 33 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act when it requested information from Air Peace.

“The Abuja Federal High Court has affirmed the statutory authority of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate consumer complaints relating to pricing of airline tickets.

“The court clarified that the Commission’s investigative powers under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA, 2018) are distinct from the exercise of a power to regulate price,” it stated.

The case stemmed from the FCCPC’s request for information from Air Peace in January 2025 after widespread consumer complaints over sharp increases in domestic airfares during the December 2024 festive season.

The court held that the Commission’s request was part of a lawful investigation and did not constitute the exercise of price regulation or price control powers under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act.

It further ruled that the FCCPC neither directed Air Peace to reduce its fares nor imposed any pricing formula on the airline.