The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, is set to fine Royal Air Maroc up to N300m for alleged unprofessional conduct and non-compliance with regulatory standards.
The NCAA is gearing up to impose what could be the largest sanction in the history of Nigeria’s aviation industry against the airline.
This was revealed to our correspondent by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu.
Royal Air Maroc is Morocco’s national airline, primarily owned by the government. Operating from its hub at Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport, the airline offers a wide domestic and regional network across Morocco and Africa, along with international routes to Europe, the Middle East, and America.
Speaking to The PUNCH, Achimugu said, “We are preparing heavier sanctions against Royal Air Maroc. Possibly going to be the biggest sanction in Nigeria’s aviation history. The airline has been quite unprofessional and unresponsive as well.”
As part of the pending sanctions, the NCAA is considering a fine of between N200m to N300m against Royal Air Maroc.
“We are looking at a N200m to N300m fine. We are preparing the case, especially because they have not been very responsive to the inquiries from the authorities. And that in itself is a crime, it’s wrong, it’s an offence by the NCAA regulations,” Achimugu told The PUNCH.
According to him, Royal Air Maroc has been flagged as a serial offender, prompting the NCAA to initiate a detailed investigation into their conduct. “We are gathering all the facts to ensure that Nigerian passengers will get world-class service from every airline operating in Nigeria,” he said.
The NCAA had reportedly initiated an enforcement action against the airline, a step that Achimugu clarified was still in the administrative and legal processing stages.
“It is going through legal processes. Every initiation of enforcement, that’s why it was called initiation of enforcement action. It is not yet a sanction, it is an initiation,” he explained.
Achimugu emphasized that the NCAA is committed to ensuring due process before any final sanctions are imposed.
“Legal has to ratify it, clear it up, and then the Director General will sign it into effect. However, the airlines were already responding, and most of them were quickly resolving the issues for which we sanctioned them. However, every resolution that came after the announcement of that enforcement action was still going to be sanctioned,” he said.
He assured the public that the NCAA is determined to follow the rules while holding airlines accountable for their actions.
“We will not sanction them unjustly, but we are gathering a case that is going to be a record in the history of Nigerian civil aviation from the consumer protection perspective,” he said.
The PUNCH recently reported that Achimugu warned airlines against exceeding the timelines outlined in Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023 for processing passenger refunds, emphasizing that any violations would result in sanctions.
A week later, the NCAA took enforcement actions against Royal Air Maroc, Ethiopian Airlines, Air Peace, Arik Air, and Aero Contractors.
This decision followed a warning issued by the agency in response to a surge in passenger complaints.
Recall that the Nigerian government had taken steps to address complaints against the airline concerning an issue when an Abuja-bound flight from Casablanca made an emergency landing in Marrakesh due to a technical problem, leaving passengers, most of whom were Nigerians, stranded.
Passengers reported being left without adequate care, including food and proper shelter, with women and children forced to sleep on the floor. This led to widespread complaints about ill-treatment.
In response, the Nigerian Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, directed the Consumer Protection Department of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority to engage with the airline and ensure the situation is remedied.
Preliminary investigations by the NCAA revealed that while refreshments were provided to stranded passengers, visa requirements in Morocco prevented them from being accommodated outside the terminal.
However, the NCAA summoned the airline’s management, signaling the government’s commitment to addressing passenger grievances.