NCAA Insists Airlines Must Implement 14-day, Not 4 Weeks Ticket Refund Policy 

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has warned domestic airlines to stop extending ticket refund periods to four weeks, describing the practice as a clear violation of aviation regulations.

The agency’s spokesperson, Michael Achimugu, issued the warning in a statement posted on his X handle on Monday, stressing that the NCAA’s rules on ticket refunds are explicit and binding.

Citing Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023, Achimugu said passengers are legally entitled to receive refunds within 14 days of making a formal request, not four weeks as some airlines allegedly claim.

“Domestic airlines NEED to stop telling passengers that their refund process takes four weeks. There can’t be two captains-in-command on an aircraft,” he said.

“The NCAA regulations are clear about the timeframe for ticket refunds, and it is 14 days. Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023 remains in force. Operators cannot create a different rule in this regard.”

Achimugu condemned the growing trend of non-compliance, describing it as an attempt to duplicate aviation rules and undermine the Authority’s regulatory mandate. He said the practice was both unprofessional and unfair to passengers.

To ensure enforcement, he urged passengers to report any airline that violates the refund timeline.

“To all passengers: if you apply for a refund and an airline tells you that it would take 4 weeks, kindly forward that communication to michael.achimugu@ncaa.gov.ng, ifueko.abdulmalik@ncaa.gov.ng, and cpd@ncaa.gov.ng immediately,” he said.

“Enough of this. We cannot all claim to be working for the improvement of the industry and be duplicating rules in a manner that undermines thep Authority and is unfair to passengers.”