NCAA Fines RwandAir ₦15 Million Over Passenger’s Damaged Baggage

RwandAir has been hit with a ₦15 million fine by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over its handling of a passenger’s baggage complaint.

The airline was also ordered to replace the passenger’s damaged bag and pay $170 as first-need compensation.

The NCAA spokesperson, Michael Achimugu, disclosed the sanction in a post on his personal 𝕏 handle on Friday, Naija News reports.

According to the aviation regulator, the fine followed RwandAir’s failure to resolve the baggage complaint within the stipulated timeframe under Nigeria’s consumer protection regulations.

The NCAA said the airline did not address the passenger’s complaint in line with the provisions guiding consumer protection in the Nigerian aviation sector.

The authority said the $170 compensation and replacement of the damaged baggage were required under Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.

The regulation provides compensation and other remedies for passengers affected by baggage-related problems.

The NCAA said the sanction was part of its efforts to ensure that airlines operating in Nigeria respect passengers’ rights and attend to complaints within the prescribed period.

The authority said, “The NCAA has sanctioned Rwand Air for consumer protection-related infractions. The airline has been fined a sum of FIFTEEN MILLION NAIRA for its failure to resolve a baggage issue within the stipulated timeframe.

“In addition, Rwand Air has been asked to replace the passenger’s damaged bag and pay 170 dollars as first-need compensation as stipulated by Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.”

The NCAA has, at different times, sanctioned both domestic and international airlines over various consumer protection and other regulatory breaches.

In February 2025, five airlines were also sanctioned by the authority for different infractions, with varying penalties imposed or under consideration.

The affected airlines were Royal Air Maroc, Arik Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Aero Contractors and Air Peace.

Naija News reports that the latest incident occurred barely a week after the aviation regulator warned airlines that failing to process passenger refunds within the timeframe set out in Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023 would attract sanctions.