Passenger luggage delay to attract $170, N10,000 fines – NCAA

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has pledged to implement stringent measures against airlines that fail to deliver passengers’ luggage on time.

Michael Achimugu, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NCAA, shared this commitment during a roadshow at the Lagos airport on Monday, November 18.

Achimugu revealed that the agency intends to levy fines of $170 and N10,000 on both foreign and domestic airlines for delayed luggage as a preliminary step to deter such practices.

“For way too long, Nigerians have been claiming not to know about the existence and the duties of the NCAA. Our duty, which is what we owe Nigerians, is to bring awareness to the industry. The passengers need to become more aware of their rights so that airlines will not continue to cheat them.

He highlighted that passengers often lack knowledge about their rights, such as the entitlement to compensation when luggage is lost during domestic flights. For domestic flights, passengers can demand N10,000 from the airline. For international flights, the fine is $170. Many passengers are unaware of these rights, but today, we aim to break this cycle of ignorance. We are introducing these regulations to the public in an engaging manner.

Achimugu also mentioned that the BCAA website is easily accessible for passengers to file complaints against airlines that mishandle their luggage.

According to NCAA, the airlines with the highest number of missing baggage cases in Nigeria include Air France with 2,075 cases among foreign carriers, followed by KLM with 1,938; Egypt Air with 1,850; Royal Air Maroc with 1,745; British Airways with 1,428; Lufthansa with 1,535; Kenya Airways with 1,346; and Delta Airlines with 1,101.

Other airlines with significant missing baggage cases include Qatar Airways with 980; Ethiopian Airlines with 545; Air Cote d’Ivoire with 424; Rwandair with 365; Asky with 290; South African Airways with 77; Air Peace with 49; Africa World Airlines with 35; Taag Angola with 31; and the Middle East with only five cases of missing luggage.

The NCAA also reported that in the first half of 2024, a total of 19,274 passengers’ luggage, from all airlines – both foreign and local – were declared delayed or missing.