Air Peace Summoned By FCCPC Over Failure To Refund Ticket Fares

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has called the leadership of Air Peace Limited to address numerous consumer grievances about the non-reimbursement of ticket fares. The Commission noted that the airline allegedly neglected to refund customers, even in instances where the airline itself cancelled flight operations.

In a statement released on Monday, June 16, in Abuja, the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Ondaje Ijagwu, indicated that the airline’s conduct might violate Sections 130(1)(a), 130(1)(b), and 130(2)(b) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018. These provisions safeguard consumers’ entitlements to prompt refunds for unfulfilled bookings or services cancelled by providers.

According to the statement, Air Peace has been instructed to appear before the Commission at its headquarters in Abuja on June 23, following a formal summons issued on June 13. The Commission exercised its authority under Sections 32 and 33 of the FCCPA to mandate the airline’s attendance and submission of pertinent records.

“Specifically, Section 33(3) of the FCCPA mandates compliance and failure attracts severe sanctions including fines or imprisonment,” Ijagwu stated.

As part of the probe, Air Peace must submit documentation, including its refund complaint log for the past 12 months, records of all processed refunds to date, a list of cancelled flights across all routes over the same period, and steps the airline has implemented to mitigate consumer difficulties caused by the cancellations.

The Commission underscored that this measure demonstrates its dedication to ensuring equitable treatment of consumers and holding service providers responsible for violations of consumer rights.

In 2024, the FCCPC had initiated a separate investigation into claims of exploitative pricing by Air Peace, particularly concerning substantial fare hikes on advance bookings for specific domestic routes. The airline countered that investigation by launching legal action to block the Commission from continuing its inquiry. However, Ijagwu clarified that the present summons is unrelated to the prior investigation and focuses on a separate matter concerning ticket refunds.

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