NCAA fines RwandAir N15m over baggage complaint

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The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has fined RwandAir N15 million for failing to resolve a passenger’s baggage complaint within the stipulated timeframe.

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The authority also directed the airline to replace the passenger’s damaged bag and pay $170 as first-need compensation.

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, disclosed the sanction on Friday.

“The NCAA has sanctioned Rwand Air for consumer protection-related infractions,” Mr Achimugu wrote in a post on X.

He said the fine was imposed over the airline’s failure to resolve the baggage issue within the required timeframe.

The additional compensation and replacement order were made under Part 19 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) 2023, which sets out protections for air passengers, including provisions on baggage.

What the regulations say

Under Part 19, passengers on international flights whose baggage is delayed are entitled to $170 in first-need compensation to cover immediate necessities while they wait for their luggage. The regulations also provide for compensation where baggage is lost or damaged under circumstances attributable to the airline.

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The NCAA says airlines operating in Nigeria are required to comply with the consumer protection provisions, while passengers can escalate unresolved complaints to the authority’s Consumer Protection Department.

READ ALSO: NCAA to introduce real-time luggage tracking at Nigerian airports

The latest sanction comes as the NCAA continues efforts to strengthen the handling and tracking of passengers’ baggage.

In August, the authority announced plans to introduce Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology across domestic and international terminals to improve the tracking of checked luggage and reduce cases of missing and misrouted baggage.