Lagos, NIGERIA — The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Air Peace Limited, which sought to restrain the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) from investigating the airline over allegations of unrefunded ticket fares.
The ruling, delivered on Monday, April 20, 2026, upholds the FCCPC’s statutory powers to summon service providers in response to consumer complaints.
Okay News reports that the legal battle began in June 2025 after the commission issued a formal summons to Air Peace following a “deluge of complaints” from passengers across the country regarding the airline’s failure to process timely refunds for cancelled flights.
In its judgment, the court held that Sections 32 and 33 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 grant the commission the legal mandate to investigate unfair market practices and safeguard consumer rights. The judge noted that the summons was a legitimate exercise of administrative oversight and did not violate the airline’s right to fair hearing or business privacy.
The FCCPC had earlier directed Air Peace to produce documentary evidence, including:
- A comprehensive complaint log for refunds over the preceding 12 months.
- Records of all processed refunds and a list of all cancelled flights across its domestic and international routes.
- Evidence of remedial actions taken to mitigate hardship for affected passengers.
The Director of Corporate Affairs for the FCCPC, Ondaje Ijagwu, welcomed the court’s decision, reaffirming that the commission will continue to hold service providers accountable under Section 130 of the FCCPA, which guarantees consumers the right to timely refunds when services are not fulfilled.
With the dismissal of the suit, Air Peace is now expected to comply with the commission’s directives and appear for further inquiry at the FCCPC headquarters in Abuja. The airline has yet to issue an official statement on whether it intends to appeal the high court’s judgment.
