NCAA Issues Stern Warning to Airlines: Pay Up for Delayed Baggage or Face Sanctions

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued a stringent warning to all local and international airlines operating in the country, mandating full compliance with compensation policies for passengers affected by short-landed baggage or face severe sanctions. The directive, issued on Monday, July 28, 2025, underscores the NCAA’s renewed commitment to protecting passenger rights.

Mr. Michael Achimugu, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, delivered the stern warning following a meeting with airline officials at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. He expressed concern over what he described as widespread non-compliance with existing regulations regarding baggage delays.

“This engagement perhaps should be the last time we will have to discuss the issue of this ‘First Need’ compensation,” Achimugu stated. “For a while now, it’s been a grey area, and despite the NCAA sending letters to airlines, there has not been much compliance.”

According to Part 19 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) 2023, passengers whose checked-in luggage does not arrive with them are entitled to immediate “First Need” compensation. For domestic flights, this amounts to N10,000, while international flight passengers are entitled to $170 to cover essential needs while awaiting their bags.

Achimugu further clarified that for domestic flights, airlines have a maximum of seven days to deliver the short-landed baggage to the passenger’s address at no additional cost. The baggage is deemed lost if not found within this period. For international flights, the delivery timeframe is 21 days before a bag is officially declared lost.

“The regulation is very clear. If the baggage of a passenger doesn’t arrive with the passenger, for a domestic airline, the passenger gets N10,000, and you have seven days to deliver the bag at their address at no cost to the passenger,” Achimugu reiterated. He noted that many passengers are unaware of these rights, leading airlines to often compel them to pick up their luggage themselves.

The NCAA’s Senior Special Assistant to the Director General of Civil Aviation, Ifueko Abdulamlik, added that where airlines delay baggage delivery for “extended days,” passengers reserve the right to claim additional compensation with receipts for items purchased due to the inconvenience. For truly lost luggage, airlines’ liability can go up to $1,000 for domestic flights and 1,288 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) for international flights, subject to claim evaluation.

The NCAA emphasized that it would commence strict enforcement of these regulations to ensure passengers receive the treatment and support they deserve in accordance with the law. While airline representatives appealed to the NCAA to address infrastructural challenges at airports, such as malfunctioning conveyor belts, which contribute to baggage delays, the regulator maintained that compliance with passenger rights remains paramount.