NCAA Summons Air Peace Over Flight Disruption

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has summoned Air Peace following a Heathrow-Abuja flight that left passengers stranded in Lagos after returning to Abuja due to a cracked windshield.

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, confirmed the development on Saturday via his official X account. The airline has also been called in to address other operational concerns as the authority reviews multiple recent flight disruptions.

According to the NCAA, Air Peace is required to attend an urgent meeting at its headquarters on Monday to explain a series of unexplained incidents, including the Heathrow-Abuja flight, where passengers were rerouted via Gatwick-Lagos-Abuja before being stranded in Lagos due to the aircraft returning because of a cracked windshield.

“Air Peace has been summoned to the NCAA HQ for an urgent meeting on Monday with regards to several unexplained incidents, including many incidents received today from passengers on the Heathrow-Abuja flight who were rerouted via Gatwick-Lagos-Abuja and left stranded in Lagos because of a reported air return due to a cracked windshield,” the NCAA said.

The authority noted that its Consumer Protection Department has been activated to review complaints related to delayed refunds, compensation, and other passenger support.

It emphasized that abandoning passengers will not be tolerated and reiterated that all operators must meet strict standards.

An investigation under Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023 will determine appropriate action, reinforcing the Authority’s commitment to passenger rights and operational compliance.

In response, Air Peace had stated on X that passengers were not abandoned. The airline said the flight returned to Abuja due to a cracked windshield, suspected to have been caused by a bird strike, in line with aviation safety protocols.

“For the avoidance of doubt, no passenger was abandoned or left stranded at any point during the handling of the situation,” the airline stated, stressing its commitment to passenger safety while managing operational challenges.

The incident comes amid wider scrutiny of Nigeria’s aviation sector. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) is investigating airline pricing and consumer complaints.