The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has threatened tougher regulatory action against Royal Air Maroc, including a possible stoppage of the airline’s operations in Nigeria, over repeated consumer protection concerns.
Speaking to NigerianFLIGHTDECK, NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, explained the regulator’s position on the matter. He said the NCAA had grown increasingly frustrated with the Moroccan carrier’s handling of passenger complaints, baggage issues and engagement with the aviation regulator.
According to Achimugu, Royal Air Maroc has long been a major source of complaints involving baggage infractions, poor passenger handling and delays in resolving cases involving Nigerian travellers.
He said the airline was sanctioned for the first time in 2025 over consumer protection-related infractions. However, the NCAA expected significant improvements in its handling of passenger complaints following the regulatory action.
Royal Air Maroc Passenger Complaints Under Scrutiny
Achimugu explained that the NCAA regularly invites airlines to its headquarters when complaints are not resolved promptly. The process allows the regulator to review outstanding cases individually and push for quicker resolutions.
“It’s not speedily addressing cases, and then there’s a pile-up of cases, so you drag them to the NCAA headquarters,” he said. “We sit down, look at those cases one by one, and give speedy attention to those cases.”
However, he alleged that Royal Air Maroc’s approach to such regulatory engagements has remained a concern.
Achimugu claimed that despite invitations specifically requesting the attendance of the airline’s country manager, Ahmed Boussouf, the official has repeatedly failed to attend meetings in Abuja.
He said the airline instead sends communications shortly before scheduled meetings, stating that the cases are being processed or that the country manager is unavailable to travel from Lagos.
“We invited him for today. I was in Lagos myself. I came back from Lagos early this morning only because of this meeting. And then he did not come,” Achimugu said.
According to him, the airline instead sent a representative who, he alleged, lacked the authority to resolve the cases or make commitments on behalf of Royal Air Maroc.
“The representative will come, sit down, listen to us and tell us that he will give feedback to his bosses and get back to us,” he said.
Achimugu said this approach was no longer acceptable to the NCAA, particularly where cases had remained unresolved for extended periods.
Regulatory Engagement Raises Tensions
The consumer protection director told NigerianFLIGHTDECK that he subsequently contacted Ahmed Boussouf to express the NCAA’s concerns. He questioned whether a Moroccan aviation authority would accept similar conduct from a Nigerian airline operating in Morocco.
According to Achimugu, the discussion ended with the country manager allegedly telling him, “Whatever you want to do, do.”
The NCAA official said the response further heightened concerns over the airline’s approach to regulatory engagement.
“I will not accept that kind of behaviour from any airline,” Achimugu said.
He added that the NCAA had previously given Royal Air Maroc opportunities to address complaints and resolve cases before stronger enforcement measures were considered.
“Instead of giving you the benefit of the doubt and the opportunity to resolve this case, then we’ll move straight to enforcement action,” he said, adding that many cases had already exceeded expected resolution timelines.
Achimugu’s account could not independently be verified by NigerianFLIGHTDECK, and Royal Air Maroc’s response to the allegations is being sought.
NCAA Signals Tougher Enforcement
Achimugu said the NCAA would pursue stronger enforcement against Royal Air Maroc if the airline failed to improve its handling of passenger complaints and regulatory engagement.
He said his department would push for a stoppage of the airline’s operations in Nigeria until it makes a commitment to treating Nigerian passengers better.
However, any suspension or stoppage of operations would represent a significant regulatory escalation. Such action would also be subject to applicable legal and regulatory procedures.
Achimugu pointed to the broader obligations of international airlines operating in Nigeria. He noted that carriers must comply with passenger protection requirements while operating under applicable bilateral air service arrangements.
He said passengers affected by delayed baggage, unresolved complaints and other service failures are paying customers who deserve timely attention and appropriate remedies.
The NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection further argued that the aviation sector could not make sustainable progress if passenger rights and stakeholder responsibilities were treated as secondary concerns.
He called for a more systematic approach to enforcement and compliance, with operators held to international standards of service and accountability.
Royal Air Maroc Faces Possible Stiffer Penalties
Achimugu said the NCAA’s position was not aimed at undermining any airline. Instead, he said the regulator’s priority was ensuring operators comply with established rules and meet their obligations to passengers.
“My department will be taking a very firm stand over this matter,” he said, adding that the regulator would pursue stiffer penalties against Royal Air Maroc.
“We will ensure stiffer penalties against Royal Air Maroc this time. The job we were given to do will be done without fear,” he said.
The threatened action comes against the backdrop of the NCAA’s broader efforts to strengthen consumer protection enforcement across Nigeria’s aviation sector.
However, Achimugu’s comments represent the regulator’s account of the dispute. Royal Air Maroc’s response will be important in establishing its position on allegations concerning baggage handling, passenger complaints, case resolution and attendance at regulatory meetings.
The airline’s response is also expected to clarify the status of the cases referenced by the NCAA. It may also address whether the carrier disputes the regulator’s account of its engagement with the Authority.
The unfolding dispute could therefore become a significant test of the NCAA’s enforcement approach towards foreign airlines operating in Nigeria. This is particularly relevant where passenger complaints remain unresolved and regulatory engagements fail to produce timely solutions.
