The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has indicated plans to impose tougher sanctions on domestic airlines over persistent flight delays and poor passenger handling, warning that repeated inefficiencies in the aviation sector will no longer be tolerated.

The development was announced on Thursday through a statement shared via the official X handle of the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Michael Achimugu.

Achimugu said the regulatory body was prepared to push for stronger punitive measures against airlines that consistently fail to operate efficiently.

“We will be pushing for stiffer penalties against domestic airlines for chronic delays. We have protected operators, stood for them, explained for them, been insulted for them, and supported them because it is the right thing to do,” he stated.

He explained that although most flight disruptions are often beyond the control of airlines, recent occurrences had made it necessary for regulators to respond more firmly where inefficiencies are repeatedly observed.

“The majority of flight disruptions are not caused by the airlines, but recent events justify the need for heavier ramifications where there is recurrent inefficiency,” Achimugu said.

The NCAA spokesman noted that the level of backing given to airline operators by the Federal Government and aviation authorities should ordinarily result in improved service delivery across the sector.

According to him, “The natural law of nature is that when an industry is supported by government in the way that His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done; in the way that the Honourable Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, SAN has done; in the way that the DGCA, Capt. Chris Najomo has done, in the way that our Consumer Protection Department has done, the least expectation of reciprocity is for remarkable improvements to reflect in flight operations and some other aspects.”

While acknowledging the difficult operating environment faced by domestic airlines, Achimugu maintained that certain shortcomings could no longer be justified.

“One understands, and has reiterated the challenging operating environment that operators have to meander in an industry that is starting to improve in terms of policies driven by the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development (read the CTC Practice Direction, IDERA, Consumer Protection awareness, etc), but there are some lapses that are inexcusable,” he said.

He stressed that poor communication with passengers during delays and cancellations had remained a major concern and had contributed significantly to rising tensions at airports.

“Immeasurable times, I have stressed the need for airlines to improve communication during flight delays and cancellations. I have stressed the need to comply with the regulations in the areas of HOTAC and First Needs Compensation,” Achimugu stated.

He further explained that inadequate information management and poor passenger handling had been central to many of the confrontations recorded at airport terminals nationwide.

“The failure to manage information properly, as well as poor passenger handling, has been responsible for the majority of passenger violence at our airport terminals,” he said.

Drawing attention to global regulatory practices, Achimugu cited an example from the United States, where sanctions were recently imposed on an airline over repeated delays.

“Not too long ago, the US authorities fined JetBlue airline to the tune of two million dollars for ‘chronic delayed flights,’ the first of its kind in the US,” he said.

He added that aviation regulations must be dynamic and responsive to evolving operational challenges within the industry.

“Regulations may evolve as challenges take expression and impact the industry,” Achimugu stated.

Reassuring passengers and airline operators alike, he said the NCAA remained committed to fairness, accountability and the protection of stakeholder rights.

“The NCAA is committed to protecting the rights of all stakeholders, and a review that strengthens the Authority to enforce compliance for both passengers and operators has to be done,” he said.

The renewed warning by the aviation regulator comes amid increasing passenger complaints over frequent delays across Nigeria’s aviation sector.

Data released by the NCAA showed that domestic airlines operated a total of 17,731 flights between July and September 2025, representing an increase from the 15,989 flights recorded during the same period in 2024.

Within the same period, flight cancellations dropped significantly to 80 in the third quarter of 2025, compared to 251 cancellations recorded in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

Despite the improvement in cancellation figures, several high-profile disruptions were recorded during the year.

In April 2025, Air Peace temporarily suspended its flight operations following an industrial action by staff of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, which disrupted departures at major airports, including Lagos and Abuja, leaving many passengers stranded for several hours.

In May 2025, passengers reported multiple delays involving Max Air, with several flights departing from Kaduna and Kano rescheduled late into the night without clear communication, triggering widespread complaints on social media platforms.

In June 2025, United Nigeria Airlines came under intense criticism after a Lagos to Abuja flight was delayed for more than 10 hours, with affected passengers alleging that no official updates were provided by the airline throughout the prolonged wait.