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The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has imposed a N5 million fine on Qatar Airways for violations bordering on consumer protection, in what officials describe as part of a renewed drive to enforce compliance and safeguard the rights of Nigerian passengers.
The announcement was made by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr Michael Achimugu, who criticised the airline for what he termed persistent disregard for regulatory directives.
Achimugu disclosed that the fine represents only one of several unresolved matters involving the airline, noting that Qatar Airways has been issued multiple Letters of Investigation (LOIs) concerning other complaints.
He warned that failure to respond satisfactorily to the LOIs may attract further sanctions, as the Authority will no longer tolerate what it views as a pattern of disrespect and non-compliance.
According to him, Qatar Airways has conducted itself “as though Nigerian passengers and the NCAA are not deserving of respect, dignified treatment, and compliance with Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023,” insisting that such behaviour “will be brought to a stop immediately.”
One of the cases that prompted the latest enforcement action involved an incident on a Lagos–Doha–United States trip. A female cabin crew member alleged that a male passenger travelling with his wife had touched her inappropriately while she assisted a different passenger during boarding in Lagos. Crucially, the crew member did not report the accusation in Lagos.
Upon arrival in Doha, however, she lodged the complaint, resulting in the passenger’s arrest and detention for roughly eighteen hours.
Achimugu recounted that the passenger’s wife endured considerable mental and psychological distress during the ordeal, questioning how such an allegation could be true when she had been with her husband throughout the boarding process.
The detained passenger was subsequently made to pay a substantial fine and compelled to sign a document written entirely in Arabic – despite not understanding the language – simply to regain his freedom and continue his journey.
Even after complying with the instructions in Doha, Qatar Airways refused to transport him to his final destination, forcing him to procure a ticket on another airline at significant financial and reputational cost.
Achimugu added that when the NCAA invited Qatar Airways to a meeting to address the incident alongside other pending matters, the airline’s country manager failed to appear, reportedly sending subordinates in his place.
The Authority issued determinations following the meeting, but Qatar Airways allegedly failed to comply. It has also remained unresponsive to subsequent complaints and to a formally issued LOI – an action which Achimugu stressed is unlawful.
“This conduct ends now,” he declared. “It is against Nigerian aviation law for any airline to fail to respond to the NCAA, to provide false information, or to disregard Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.”
He observed that some foreign airlines, especially those from countries with weaker consumer protection regimes, tend to treat Nigerian regulations with disdain.
Achimugu warned that such attitudes will no longer be entertained, noting that Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs) must be respected by all parties.
He reaffirmed the stance of the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Captain Chris Najomo, who has consistently emphasised firmness on consumer protection matters. “We will apply appropriate and stiff penalties against any airline that persistently fails to comply,” Achimugu stated.
In a related development, he revealed that Royal Air Maroc and Saudi Air have also been cautioned over identified infractions. Should they fail to comply with the NCAA’s determinations, they will face equally severe sanctions.
Achimugu reiterated that the NCAA remains committed to protecting both passengers and airlines, but stressed that compliance with Nigerian aviation laws is non-negotiable.
