BREAKING: Nigerian Authorities Tag Max Air ‘Most Unresponsive’ To Passenger Complaints, Slam Air Cote D’Ivoire Over Flight Manipulation

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has expressed strong disapproval over rising incidents of non-compliance with consumer protection regulations by some domestic and international airlines operating within Nigeria.

Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, said on Wednesday that Max Air has emerged as the most unresponsive domestic airline in terms of addressing passenger complaints and complying with NCAA determinations.

“According to NCAA data, Max Air has been the most unresponsive domestic airline per passenger complaints and determinations by the NCAA Consumer Protection Directorate,” Achimugu said. “In some cases, there have been allegations of threats to travel agencies for daring to report to the CAA. This will be put to a stop immediately.”

On the international front, Achimugu also raised concerns over the conduct of Air Cote D’Ivoire, accusing the Ivorian carrier of manipulating its flight schedules based on passenger load.

“Internationally, the Ivorian operator, Air Cote D'Ivoire, has been reported for cancelling flights on the days they do not have ‘enough passengers,’ and that they try and merge flights across days to hit their desired figures,” he said.

The NCAA assured that both cases will be handled expeditiously, adding that while the agency remains supportive of airline operations and acknowledges that occasional disruptions are unavoidable, strict compliance with aviation consumer protection regulations is non-negotiable.

“Compliance with the regulations is mandatory,” Achimugu stressed. “It is not a choice of convenience.”

In late June, passengers arriving in Nigeria from Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast, voiced frustration over Air Côte d’Ivoire’s failure to deliver their luggage three days after their arrival.

The affected travellers, who were on a connecting flight from Abidjan to Nigeria, alleged that the airline deliberately left all their luggage behind without prior notice.

Speaking with The PUNCH separately by phone, the passengers explained that they had travelled from the United States via Ethiopian Airlines and boarded the Air Côte d’Ivoire flight to Nigeria on Thursday. Upon arrival, they were informed by the airline that their luggage had not arrived with them.