The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has warned airline operators against continuing full flight schedules when some of their aircraft are grounded due to technical issues like mechanical faults or bird strikes.

NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection,Michael Achimugu, issued this warning during an interview on Channels TV’s Sunrise sharing an excerpt from the interview on his official X page on Sunday, sharing an excerpt from the interview on his official X page on Sunday.

Achimugu emphasized that failure to reduce operations in such situations could attract stricter sanctions from the regulatory authority.

Achimugu pointed out that if an airline grounds two of its five aircraft, it must revise its flight schedule accordingly and stop selling tickets for affected routes.

He warned that failure to comply could attract stricter penalties than in previous years.

“What the NCAA is saying to the operators is simple. If you have aircraft on ground with technical issues, bird strikes, and the rest of those issues, then cut down the size of your operations.

“So you don’t sell tickets to passengers, to destinations you know you may not be able to fly. And if any operator continues to commit infractions such as this, then there will be heavier sanctions this year than there were previously,” Achimugu stated.

Nigerian air travelers have long expressed frustration over frequent flight cancellations and delays, largely driven by technical challenges that limit aircraft availability rather than weather conditions.

These persistent disruptions have heightened passenger dissatisfaction and eroded public confidence in domestic carriers.

This latest warning from Achimugu comes on the heels of regulatory scrutiny involving Air Peace, which was recently summoned by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation following a surge in complaints over chronic delays and cancellations.