The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has raised concerns over what it described as growing disregard by airlines for passenger protection rules during flight delays and cancellations, warning carriers that disruption does not remove their obligations to travellers.

NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection Michael Achimugu said airlines were not necessarily responsible for every disruption, but must comply with Part 19 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023 whenever passengers are affected.

Achimugu said poor communication, delayed refunds and inadequate care for stranded passengers remained recurring problems, adding that some airlines continued to leave travellers waiting at airports despite already knowing that a flight could not operate as scheduled.

The warning comes as flight disruptions remain widespread across Nigeria's domestic aviation sector.

NCAA data for August 2026 showed that 4,765 of 7,961 domestic flights were delayed, representing almost 60 per cent of all services operated during the month. Verita Post earlier reported that Air Peace recorded 1,330 delays from 1,864 domestic flights, the highest number in absolute terms among carriers covered by the report.

Under Part 19, a domestic airline expecting a delayed departure must provide passengers with the reason for the delay within 30 minutes of the scheduled departure time.

Where a domestic flight is delayed for more than two hours, passengers are entitled to refreshments as well as access to telephone calls, SMS or email communication.

If the delay goes beyond three hours, the regulations provide passengers with the option of reimbursement or re-routing.

Passengers affected by delays extending beyond 10pm to 4am, or where the airport at the point of departure or destination is closed, may also be entitled to hotel accommodation and transportation between the airport and the accommodation.

The regulations also impose separate obligations when a flight is cancelled.

For a domestic cancellation, passengers are entitled to at least 25 per cent of the fare as compensation unless they were informed of the cancellation at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time, subject to exceptions provided by the regulations.

An airline may also be exempt from cancellation compensation where it can prove that the cancellation resulted from extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided despite reasonable measures.

Achimugu said airlines could not substitute whatever compensation they preferred for obligations already prescribed by law, citing cases where passengers denied boarding or affected by disruptions were offered discounts or other alternatives instead of what the regulations require.

He also criticised airlines for unresolved refund cases and said passengers should receive honest information early enough to make alternative arrangements instead of travelling to airports and waiting for hours for flights that carriers already know may not operate.

The NCAA had earlier warned United Nigeria Airlines over passenger handling, flight disruptions and outstanding refunds, directing the carrier to ensure that its schedules matched its available aircraft and operational capacity.

The regulator's official passenger guidance says travellers should first lodge complaints with the airline involved. Where the matter remains unresolved, passengers can file a complaint with the NCAA through its consumer protection desks at airports, its website or by email.

The NCAA said airlines remained responsible for complying with passenger-protection rules even where delays were caused by factors such as weather, airport congestion or operational difficulties.

Airlines have meanwhile attributed many of the industry's recurring delays to weather conditions, airport congestion and infrastructure constraints, while the regulator has continued to press carriers to improve operational planning and communication with passengers.