NCAA fines RwandAir N15m over unresolved baggage complaint
By Aboki Forex —
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has fined RwandAir N15 million for failing to resolve a passenger's baggage complaint within the timeframe set by Nigerian aviation regulations.
The penalty was announced by Michael Achimugu, the NCAA's director of public affairs and consumer protection, in a post on X on Friday, September 11, 2026.
What the regulator ordered
Achimugus stated that the airline was sanctioned for consumer protection-related infractions.
He wrote: "The NCAA has sanctioned RwandAir for consumer protection-related infractions. The airline has been fined a sum of FIFTEEN MILLION NAIRA for its failure to resolve a baggage issue within stipulated timeframe."
Beyond the N15 million fine, the NCAA ordered RwandAir to replace the passenger's damaged bag and pay $170 as first-need compensation. Both requirements fall under Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
Part of a wider enforcement push
The RwandAir sanction is not an isolated case. In December 2024, the NCAA penalised five carriers for breaching the same Part 19 regulations. The airlines were Air Peace, Ethiopian Airlines, Arik Air, Aero Contractors and Royal Air Maroc.
Their violations covered a range of issues, including failure to refund passengers on time, non-responsiveness to NCAA directives, missing and mishandled luggage, short-landed baggage, and problems related to flight delays and cancellations.
The authority also previously sanctioned Saudi Airlines with a N6 million penalty for consumer protection violations. The NCAA cited the carrier's failure to resolve pending passenger complaints and comply with its rulings even after receiving extra time to do so.
More sanctions may follow
On February 11, 2025, the aviation authority warned that more airlines would face penalties if they continued to disregard consumer protection rules. That warning signalled that the enforcement exercise would not be limited to a single wave of sanctions.
The latest fine against RwandAir shows the regulator is still working through complaints filed by passengers and holding carriers to the timelines set out in the 2023 regulations.
What it means for travellers
For Nigerian passengers, the N15 million fine and the order to replace the damaged bag plus pay $170 in first-need compensation reinforce that baggage complaints must be settled within a fixed window. Airlines that delay refunds, ignore NCAA directives or mishandle luggage now face both financial penalties and direct compensation orders.