The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has summoned the management of Air Peace Limited over numerous complaints from passengers nationwide regarding unrefunded ticket fares, even in cases where the airline cancelled its flights.
This was revealed in a statement issued on Monday by the Commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu.
The statement highlighted that the alleged failure to issue refunds in those instances may violate Sections 130(1)(a), 130(1)(b), and 130(2)(b) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018, which guarantees consumers the right to timely refunds when service providers fail to deliver prepaid services.
In a formal summons dated June 13, 2025, the FCCPC directed Air Peace to appear at its headquarters in Abuja on Monday, June 23. The Commission cited Sections 32 and 33 of the FCCPA, warning that non-compliance could result in sanctions, including fines or imprisonment, under Section 33(3).
“The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has summoned the management of Air Peace Limited over a deluge of consumer complaints from across the country relating to the non-refund of ticket fares, even in instances where the airline had cancelled its flight operations,” the statement read in part.
FCCPC further directed the airline to provide documentary evidence, including: a log of refund-related complaints over the past twelve months, records of processed refunds, a list of all cancelled flights across its routes within the period, and actions taken to mitigate passenger hardship.
This development is separate from an earlier investigation launched by the FCCPC in December 2024 concerning alleged exploitative pricing for advance bookings on certain domestic routes. In that case, Air Peace initiated legal proceedings to stop the Commission’s inquiry.
What you should know
Under Section 130 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018, consumers are entitled to timely and fair refunds when a service provider—such as an airline—fails to deliver a prepaid service.
- Specifically, the law affirms that if a business agrees to perform a service but does not meet expected standards or fails to complete the service (such as a cancelled flight), the consumer has the right to request a refund proportional to the failure.
- Additionally, Part 19 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Regulations 2023 outlines the rights of airline passengers and the obligations of airlines. Section 19.9 provides that passengers are entitled to reimbursement or re-routing in the event of a flight cancellation.
- Reimbursements must be processed promptly—immediately for domestic flights paid in cash, or within 14 days for other modes of payment, including electronic transfers, or for international routes.
These provisions form the legal basis for the FCCPC’s summons to Air Peace, reinforcing the expectation that airlines must fulfil refund obligations promptly and transparently when flights are cancelled.
