The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, is preparing to fine Royal Air Maroc up to N300m for alleged unprofessional conduct and failure to comply with regulatory standards.
This fine could become the largest sanction in Nigeria’s aviation industry history.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, made this disclosure, according to The Punch.
Royal Air Maroc, Morocco’s national airline, is primarily government-owned and operates from its hub at Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport.
The airline offers a broad domestic and regional network across Morocco and Africa, as well as international routes to Europe, the Middle East, and America.
Achimugu said, “We are preparing heavier sanctions against Royal Air Maroc. Possibly going to be the biggest sanction in Nigeria’s aviation history. The airline has been quite unprofessional and unresponsive as well.”
The NCAA is contemplating a fine of between N200m and N300m for Royal Air Maroc as part of the pending sanctions.
“We are looking at a N200m to N300m fine. We are preparing the case, especially because they have not been very responsive to the inquiries from the authorities. And that in itself is a crime, it’s wrong, it’s an offence by the NCAA regulations,” Achimugu stated.
He stated that Royal Air Maroc has been flagged as a repeat offender, leading the NCAA to conduct a comprehensive investigation into their actions.
“We are gathering all the facts to ensure that Nigerian passengers will get world-class service from every airline operating in Nigeria,” he added.
The NCAA had reportedly launched an enforcement action against the airline, a step which Achimugu clarified is still in the administrative and legal processing stages.
“It is going through legal processes. Every initiation of enforcement, that’s why it was called initiation of enforcement action. It is not yet a sanction, it is an initiation,” he explained.
Achimugu stressed that the NCAA is committed to ensuring due process is followed before any final sanctions are imposed.
“Legal has to ratify it, clear it up, and then the Director General will sign it into effect. However, the airlines were already responding, and most of them were quickly resolving the issues for which we sanctioned them. However, every resolution that came after the announcement of that enforcement action was still going to be sanctioned,” he said.
He assured the public that the NCAA is committed to adhering to the rules while holding airlines accountable for their actions.
