Air Peace Admits Notification Error on Rescheduled Flight as NCAA Demands Compensation **By Our Correspondent | Lagos**
Air Peace has admitted sending incorrect notifications to passengers booked on a morning flight, directing them to arrive early instead of informing them of a significant schedule change, according to findings released by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
Michael Achimugu, the NCAA's Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, disclosed the outcome of the regulatory inquiry in a detailed statement addressing a public complaint by human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong. Effiong had accused the airline of negligence after his Lagos-to-Enugu flight was disrupted, causing him to miss a sensitive court appearance in Enugu State.
The investigation found that the disruption stemmed from a ripple effect of operational problems the previous night. Air Peace was required to notify morning passengers of the reschedule. Instead, passengers including Effiong received messages urging them to arrive early for the original departure time.
Achimugu said a senior management official initially claimed passengers had been properly informed. Effiong disputed this, providing a screenshot of the notification he received and his Passenger Name Record. The Station Manager and Duty Manager subsequently confirmed that the messages actually sent were the incorrect "come early" alerts and acknowledged the error.
"They admit that passengers on your flight should have been notified about the reschedule," Achimugu wrote.
The admission points to a significant breakdown in passenger communication. Effiong had woken at 4:30 a.m. and arrived at Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1 around 5:50 a.m. for a flight originally scheduled for approximately 6:45 a.m. He said staff first attended only to passengers from the previous day's cancelled or disrupted flights. After keeping that morning's passengers waiting for about an hour, airline staff casually informed them the flight had been delayed until 4:50 p.m.
Effiong also noted that Air Peace sent a second reminder at approximately 2:01 a.m. despite knowing the schedule would not hold. He described the handling as lacking empathy and part of a broader pattern of poor service, citing NCAA data showing Air Peace delayed 71 per cent of its flights in August 2026, representing 1,330 delays out of 1,864 flights.
Achimugu emphasised that timely and honest information is critical and that a clear gap existed in this case. He noted explicitly that sending the wrong notification was not a force majeure incident.
The NCAA has directed Air Peace, in line with Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023, to develop a compensation package for affected passengers and report back promptly. The airline claims it provided hotel accommodation and care for passengers until the later departure, though the NCAA said it was still verifying this. Achimugu explained that if the airline fulfils its duty of care and provides appropriate compensation, sanctions may be avoided. Failure to do so would attract heavy sanctions.
He expressed empathy for Effiong and other passengers, stating they should not have been told to come to the airport for a flight that was not going to operate. Achimugu also indicated he would release a video explaining how sanctions are applied under the regulations, noting that disruptions can occur for safety or other reasons, but that passenger treatment and mitigation measures are key to determining regulatory response.
The exchange highlights ongoing tensions around airline reliability and passenger rights in Nigeria's domestic aviation sector. Effiong had initially criticised regulators, including the NCAA and the Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo, for what he viewed as insufficient accountability for Air Peace's performance. Achimugu pushed back, noting past engagement on Effiong's complaints and affirming that the authority would hold stakeholders accountable where necessary while also protecting operators' rights under the rules.