Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority issued a N5 million fine against Qatar Airways for breaching passenger-protection requirements under the country’s aviation regulations.
The regulator made the decision known through a statement from its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, who published the enforcement action on the global social-media platform X. He noted that the airline faces additional investigative letters that could lead to further penalties if its responses fail to meet regulatory standards.
The action follows earlier complaints in September in which the authority accused the Doha-based carrier of mistreating Nigerian passengers and disregarding mandatory procedures set out in Part 19 of the 2023 aviation regulations. The agency had warned that continued non-compliance would attract strict sanctions.
The latest violation involved a Nigerian passenger travelling from Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, to the United States on a Qatar Airways flight routed through Doha. A member of the cabin crew reported a claim of sexual harassment only after arrival in Doha. Qatari authorities detained the passenger for 18 hours, fined him, and required him to sign documents written only in Arabic. The airline declined to complete his onward travel, forcing him to buy a new ticket.
NCAA invited the airline’s country manager for a compliance meeting. The agency said he failed to appear and sent junior staff in his place, a move the regulator described as unacceptable under Nigeria’s aviation-oversight framework.
Achimugu stated that some international carriers come from jurisdictions with limited consumer-protection rules and therefore underestimate Nigeria’s enforcement system. He stressed that Nigerian law requires full cooperation, truthful disclosures, and strict adherence to passenger-rights provisions. Royal Air Maroc and Saudia have recently been cautioned for similar behaviour and may face sanctions if they fail to comply.
Part 19 of the aviation regulations guarantees passengers access to fair treatment, accountability from airlines, and remedies when services are disrupted. Travellers are entitled to a refund, re-routing at the earliest opportunity, or a later re-routing date subject to seat availability.
