Author name: Umar Idris Shuaibu

My flight cancellation experience from Akure to Abuja, on green Africa airlines has become painfully familiar to Nigerian air travelers, you’ve carefully planned your trip, booked days or weeks in advance, arranged meetings or family gatherings, only to receive that dreaded cancellation email, just mere hours before departure. No explanation beyond a vague “operational reasons,” no immediate solution, just a hollow apology that mocks the very real disruption to your life and livelihood. This scenario has become the depressing norm rather than the exception across Nigeria’s aviation sector, with airlines like Green Africa continuing to sell tickets while knowing fully well they cannot fulfill these commitments. My recent situation with Green Africa on Thursday 6th November, examplifies consumer betrayal. After my flight cancellation at noon I had to resort to embark on a ground 6 hours painstakingly journey through the thick and dangerous forest I avoided to arrive at abuja late night. I recall that In March 2025, the airline announced a “temporary suspension” of operations due to “a sudden and unexpected development with aircraft lessor”. Yet, absurdly, their booking portal remained active, collecting payments from unsuspecting citizens including mine, for flights that could not possibly operate. This isn’t just poor service t’s institutional disrespect for Nigerian passengers and a blatant disregard for the basic principles of consumer protection. Read Also: Food Waivers Threaten Northern Agriculture, Says Wali The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) exists precisely to prevent such predatory practices. Its mission statement explicitly commits “to provide aviation safety and economic regulation in the most efficient manner”. The authority outlines clear passenger rights, including compensation for flight cancellations and the requirement that airlines must reimburse the full value of tickets for domestic flights delayed beyond three hours. As it stands not a single staff could explain to me on genuine reason let alone the refund of the air fare, the airline stand at the Nnamdi Azikwe international airport is without any staff as of Friday morning so also their office. The NCAA has demonstrated it can take strong action when motivated. I recall that in May 2025, the authority sanctioned Kenya Airways for consumer protection violations, giving them seven days to “pay refunds and compensation totalling 1000 special drawing rights to the affected passengers”. This establishes a huge precedent, if foreign carriers can be held accountable, why are domestic airlines permitted to violate regulations with such impunity? While Green Africa’s current crisis highlights the problem, the issue runs much deeper than one airline. The entire sector suffers from structural deficiencies that regularly manifest as; · Inadequate fleet capacity relative to passenger demand, especially during peak seasons · Poor inter-airline coordination that prevents alternative arrangements for stranded passengers · Operational inefficiencies exacerbated by fuel scarcity and maintenance issues · Weather challenges like harmattan dust haze that the system is unprepared to manage The solution lies not in endless warnings but in meaningful regulatory action. The NCAA should immediately: 1. Suspend the operational licenses of airlines that demonstrably lack the capacity to fulfill their scheduled services, particularly that of Green Africa airlines that have openly admitted they “will not be able to operate” while continuing to sell tickets. 2. Establish clear capacity thresholds that tie an airline’s permitted schedule to its actual available aircraft, with severe penalties for over-scheduling. 3. Mandate financial escrow arrangements to ensure immediate compensation for cancelled flights, moving beyond theoretical rights to guaranteed remedies. 4. Create a public accountability dashboard showing real-time airline performance metrics, including cancellation rates by carrier. The solution requires a fundamental rethinking of Nigeria’s aviation licensing model. Rather than treating operational licenses as permanent entitlements, they should be performance-based privileges subject to regular review based on operational reliability, financial health and consumer complaint resolution. In a matter of urgency and concrete solutions, the NCAA is been called upon to immediately consider the following; · Mandatory interline agreements between carriers to protect passengers when cancellations occur · Strict fleet-to-schedule ratios that prevent overcommitment · Digital refund systems to ensure the NCAA’s mandated 14-day refund window becomes reality rather than aspiration The continuing operation of chronically unreliable airlines like the Green Africa airline represents a fundamental market failure in Nigerian aviation. It perpetuates a culture of consumer exploitation where citizens pay for services they may never receive and are left with minimal recourse when betrayed. The NCAA must find the courage to use its extensive regulatory powers on green Africa airline and similar others to protect the Nigerian flying public. This means temporarily revoking the licenses of any airline that cannot fulfill their basic operational commitments, requiring them to demonstrate genuine capacity before being permitted to resume ticket sales. Until the authority takes such decisive action, the cycle of disappointment will continue. Nigerian air passengers deserve more than apologies, they deserve reliable air services and meaningful compensation when services fail. The NCAA has the power to deliver this; the only question is whether it has the will. Yusha’u Hamza Writes from Kano He can be reached on: +2348032871988