The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has warned Qatar Airways against non compliance with Nigeria's consumer protection regulations even as it issued the airline a ₦5 million fine for violating consumer protection regulations, following an incident which occured on September 19th, 2025,
A member of the airline’s cabin crew had alleged that while wheeling a passenger during boarding for a Lagos to US flight via Doha, a male passenger travelling with his wife touched her butt.
Based on the alleged infractions, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of NCAA, Michael Achimugu, who disclosed fine via his X handle on Wednesday, noted that the authority had issued several letters of investigation over additional matters involving the airline, warning that further sanctions may follow if the carrier fails to respond satisfactorily.
According to NCAA, Qatar Airways has repeatedly behaved as though Nigerian passengers and the regulator are not entitled to respect, dignified treatment or full compliance with Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
He maintained that its duty of NCy to protect the rights of all aviation stakeholders and that it will not tolerate persistent disregard for established consumer protection standards.
It was gathered that although the alleged incident occurred during boarding in Lagos, it was not reported until the crew arrived in Doha, and upon landing, the crew member filed a formal complaint, which resulted in the immediate arrest and detention of the passenger for around 18 hours.
His wife, who was left without information or support, experienced mental, physical and psychological distress.
The passenger was fined heavily by authorities in Doha and compelled to sign a document written entirely in Arabic, a language he did not understand. Despite signing under duress, Qatar Airways refused to allow him to continue his journey, forcing him to purchase a new ticket on another airline at significant personal expense.
When invited by the NCAA to address the matter, the airline’s country manager failed to appear and instead sent subordinates.
The authority, nonetheless, made a formal determination on the case alongside other complaints.
NCAA noted that Qatar Airways has since failed to comply with the decisions reached at that meeting and has also ignored subsequent complaints forwarded by the authority, including remaining completely silent after receiving a letter of investigation.
The NCAA stressed that this pattern of behaviour must come to an end, noting that, while some countries lack robust aviation consumer protection frameworks, Nigeria has clear laws and expects full compliance from every airline operating within its borders.
It is unlawful to ignore correspondence from the NCAA, to provide false information or to violate the provisions of Part 19 of the Regulations.
The authority further emphasised that bilateral air service agreements must be respected by all parties and that airlines operating in Nigeria must understand and obey consumer protection rules just as they comply with similar regulations in Europe and elsewhere.
Achimugu stated that the Consumer Protection Department safeguards the interests of airlines as much as passengers, adding that the Director-General, Capt. Chris Najomo remains firm in his commitment to enforcing consumer protection standards and that the NCAA will apply appropriate and stringent penalties against any airline that repeatedly refuses to comply.