NCAA Takes Strong Action Against Qatar Airways
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has imposed a substantial fine of N5 million on Qatar Airways for serious consumer protection violations. The regulatory body announced this decisive action on November 20, 2025, following multiple infractions by the airline against Nigerian passengers.
The Incident That Triggered the Fine
According to Michael Achimugu, Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs at NCAA, the penalty stems from a disturbing incident involving a cabin crew member and a Nigerian passenger. The situation unfolded during boarding for a flight from Lagos to the United States via Doha.
A male passenger traveling with his wife was accused of inappropriate touching by a cabin crew member. However, the crew member did not report the incident in Lagos. Instead, she made the allegation upon arrival in Doha, leading to the passenger's arrest and detention for approximately 18 hours.
During this detention period, the passenger's wife suffered significant mental, physical, and psychological trauma without receiving any care or support from the airline. She expressed disbelief at the allegations, noting she had been with her husband throughout the entire boarding process.
Additional Passenger Mistreatment
The authorities in Doha compelled the detained passenger to pay a substantial fine and forced him to sign a document written exclusively in Arabic. Desperate to regain his freedom and continue his journey to the United States, the passenger signed the document without understanding its contents.
Despite resolving the situation with Doha authorities, Qatar Airways refused to transport him to his final destination. The stranded passenger had to purchase new tickets with another airline, incurring significant financial costs and reputational damage.
NCAA's Response and Further Actions
When the NCAA invited Qatar Airways' country manager to discuss the matter, the manager demonstrated a pattern of evading meetings by sending subordinates instead. The regulatory authority proceeded with its determinations despite this lack of cooperation.
Michael Achimugu expressed frustration that Qatar Airways failed to comply with all determinations from that meeting and ignored subsequent passenger complaints escalated by the NCAA. The airline also remained silent after receiving a formal Letter of Investigation (LOI) from the aviation authority.
The Director emphasized that this behavior violates Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023 and must cease immediately. He noted that while some countries lack advanced aviation consumer protection regulations, this doesn't excuse airlines from complying with Nigerian laws.
Warning to Other Airlines
In the same regulatory action, the NCAA issued stern warnings to Royal Air Maroc and Saudi Air regarding their own infractions. Both airlines have been advised that failure to comply with NCAA determinations will result in heavy sanctions.
Achimugu made it clear that it's illegal for any airline to ignore NCAA communications, provide false information to the authority, or fail to comply with consumer protection regulations. The NCAA will not tolerate any airline treating Nigerian passengers or its regulatory authority with disrespect.
