By George Ozalla
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed United Nigeria Airlines to improve its flight operations, comply strictly with passenger rights regulations and stop expanding its routes beyond the capacity of its available fleet.
The directive was issued by the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Chris Najomo, during a consultative meeting with the airline’s management at the NCAA Corporate Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
Najomo said the NCAA’s regulatory framework was not designed to drive airlines out of business but to ensure sustainable, efficient and lawful operations in the aviation industry.
He warned the airline against operating beyond its available capacity at the expense of passengers, while condemning recent operational lapses which left passengers stranded without adequate communication or assistance.
The Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, expressed concern over what he described as the airline’s systematic failure to comply with prescribed operational and consumer protection requirements under Part 19 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs), 2023.
Achimugu also faulted the airline’s handling of passenger communications, particularly updates on flight delays and ticket refunds.
He described the recent disruptions as “gross” and warned that such non-compliance would no longer be tolerated by the NCAA.
The Director, Operations, Licensing, and Training Standards, Capt. Donald Spiff, urged United Nigeria Airlines to reduce its active routes whenever it has an Aircraft-On-Ground (AOG) situation.
He also cautioned the airline to follow established regulatory requirements when opening new destinations, stressing the need to align route expansion with available operational capacity.
Responding to the NCAA’s directive, United Nigeria Airlines apologised for the lapses and pledged to clear all pending ticket refund cases within 14 days, in line with the prescribed refund timeline.
