FCCPC summons Air Peace over consumer complaints

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has called Air Peace Limited’s management to address numerous consumer complaints across Nigeria regarding unrefunded ticket fares, including cases where the airline itself canceled flights.

This was outlined in a statement by FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Ondaje Ijagwu, issued in Abuja and released to the public on Monday.

Ijagwu noted that if the airline’s actions are confirmed, they would violate Sections 130(1)(a) and (b) and 130(2)(b) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018, which guarantee consumers timely refunds for unfulfilled advance bookings, reservations, or orders due to the service provider’s failure.

This provision upholds fair dealing and protects consumers from unfair, unjust, or unreasonable practices by service providers.

Through a formal summons dated June 13, 2025, the FCCPC, citing Sections 32 and 33 of the FCCPA 2018, has directed Air Peace to appear at its Abuja Headquarters on Monday, June 23, 2025.

The agency’s spokesman stated, ”Specifically, Section 33(3) of the FCCPA mandates compliance, and failure attracts severe sanctions including fines or imprisonment, and the airline is further directed to produce documentary evidence including a complaint log for refunds over the past twelve (12) months, total records of processed refunds to date, list of cancelled flights on all routes within the past twelve (12) months, and remedial actions taken to mitigate consumer hardship resulting from cancelled flights.”

In December 2024, the FCCPC began investigating separate claims of exploitative ticket pricing by Air Peace, including significant price increases for advance bookings on specific domestic routes. Air Peace responded by initiating legal action to halt the Commission’s inquiry, which is a distinct issue.

Ijagwu emphasized, “The FCCPC remains committed to enforcing the provisions of the FCCPA (2018) and holding service providers accountable and ensuring that consumers, including airline passengers, are protected from exploitative or unfair market practices.”