Aviation regulator orders Air Peace compensation over delayed flight

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has directed Air Peace to compensate passengers affected by a delayed Lagos-Enugu flight, following a preliminary investigation into the disruption. The regulator’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said the airline sent passengers an incorrect notification. He said the flight was disrupted by the knock-on effects of disruptions on Sunday night, while the airline’s station and duty managers confirmed that the message had been sent in error.

The matter followed a complaint from human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong. He said he arrived at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed Airport at about 5:50am for a 6:45am service after checking in the previous night. He said passengers were later told the flight would not leave until 4:50pm, threatening his attendance at a scheduled court hearing in Enugu State.

Effiong requested an apology and fare refund, and criticised what he described as the airline’s treatment of passengers. Air Peace’s position on the specific compensation directive was not included in the supplied report. The dispute also renewed questions about flight disruptions.

The NCAA’s August 2026 report recorded 4,765 delays and 36 cancellations across 7,961 domestic flights. It attributed 1,330 delays to Air Peace, but the airline disputed the figures, saying it operated 2,564 flights and that only 391 delays were within its control.