The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has summoned the management of Air Peace over rising complaints from passengers across the country regarding non-refunds of ticket fares for cancelled flights.
In a statement on Monday, Ondaje Ijagwu, Director of Corporate Affairs at the FCCPC, said the airline is expected to appear before the commission at its Abuja headquarters on June 23, 2025.
“The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has summoned the management of Air Peace Limited over a deluge of consumer complaints from across the country relating to the non-refund of ticket fares, even in instances where the airline had cancelled its flight operations,” the statement reads.
“These actions potentially contravene Sections 130(1)(a) and (b), and 130(2)(b) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018, which expressly guarantee consumers the right to timely refunds where advance bookings, reservations, or orders are unfulfilled due to service-provider’s failure.
“This provision enshrines the principle of fair dealing and safeguards consumers against unfair, unjust, or unreasonable practices by service-providers.
“In a formal summons dated June 13, 2025, the Commission, invoking Sections 32 and 33 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018, requires Air Peace to appear before the Commission at its Abuja Headquarters on Monday, June 23, 2025.
“Specifically, Section 33(3) of the FCCPA mandates compliance and failure attracts severe sanctions including fines or imprisonment.”
The commission also directed Air Peace to produce documentary evidence, including a complaint log for refunds over the past twelve months, and total records of processed refunds to date.
Other requirements include a list of cancelled flights on all routes within the past twelve months, and remedial actions taken to mitigate consumer hardship resulting from cancelled flights.
“Earlier in December 2024, the FCCPC had commenced inquiries into separate allegations of exploitative ticket pricing, including substantial price hikes for advance bookings on certain domestic routes by Air Peace,” the commission said.
“In response, the airline instituted legal proceedings seeking to restrain the commission from continuing its inquiry. This is an entirely different matter.”
The FCCPC reiterated its commitment to enforcing the provisions of the FCCPA (2018), holding service providers accountable, and protecting consumers — including airline passengers — from exploitative or unfair market practices.
Meanwhile, the airline has acknowledged receipt of the FCCPC’s summons while reaffirming its commitment to regulatory compliance and passenger rights.
According to a statement by the airline obtained by The Matrix Newspaper, it noted that in line with its tradition of cooperation with regulatory agencies, we will honour the invitation and provide necessary clarifications at the scheduled hearing.
“We emphasize our commitment to international best practices in aviation, particularly in handling refunds, and affirm that we follow due process in all such matters.
“Air Peace Limited is a law-abiding organization with utmost respect for regulatory bodies and government agencies. We reaffirm our dedication to serving passengers with integrity and upholding industry standards” the airline stated.
