The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has summoned the management of Air Peace Limited over widespread consumer complaints concerning the non-refund of ticket fares.
The Commission stated that the airline had allegedly failed to reimburse customers even in cases where flight operations were cancelled by the airline.
In a statement issued on Monday, June 16, in Abuja, the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Ondaje Ijagwu, said the airline’s actions may constitute a breach of Sections 130(1)(a), 130(1)(b), and 130(2)(b) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018. These sections protect consumers’ rights to receive timely refunds for unfulfilled bookings or services cancelled by providers.
According to the statement, Air Peace has been directed to appear before the Commission at its headquarters in Abuja on June 23, following a formal summons issued on June 13. The Commission invoked its powers under Sections 32 and 33 of the FCCPA to compel the airline’s appearance and submission of relevant 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 investigation, Air Peace is required to provide 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 measures the airline has taken to address consumer hardship caused by the cancellations.
The Commission emphasized that this action reflects its commitment to ensuring fair treatment of consumers and holding service providers accountable for breaches of consumer rights.
In 2024, the FCCPC had launched a separate inquiry into allegations of exploitative pricing by Air Peace, particularly regarding significant fare increases on advance bookings for certain domestic routes.
The airline responded to that inquiry by initiating legal proceedings aimed at preventing the Commission from continuing its investigation.
However, Ijagwu clarified that the current summons is unrelated to the earlier inquiry and addresses a distinct issue regarding ticket refunds.
