Legal Luminary Outlines Aviation Passengers Rights Under Nigerian Law
*******Aviation Law: “Passengers Are Protected By Regulations and Not By Mere Airlines Goodwill- Aviation Expert
****Passengers Have The Right to Seek Explanations from Airlines On Matters Affecting Their Journey- Odigwe Esq
By Victor Bieni, Asaba
An Aviation Expert cum renowned Legal Practitioner, Mr. Anthony O. Odigwe Esq., has outlined the rights of aviation passengers under Nigerian law as he emphasized that passengers are protected by regulations and not by mere airline goodwill.
Royal Paradise Media (News Online) learnt this from Aviation expert and Legal Luminary, Anthony Okolocha Odigwe Esq in a telephone conversation with our reporter today being on Saturday, October 3, 2026 as he shared light on the “Aviation Passenger Rights.
Speaking to our reporter, Odigwe Esq provided details of comprehensive guide on what passengers are entitled to when faced with flight disruptions and unsatisfactory services.
In the words of Anthony Okolocha Odigwe Esq: “Every passenger has the right to complain about poor or unsatisfactory airline service. This included amongst others are: Flight delays, flight cancellations, denied boarding, baggage problems, poor treatment, failure to provide required care, refund problems and other breaches of passenger rights”.
” Passenger does not lose the right to complain simply because the complaint is strongly expressed. Every dissatisfaction can be voiced lawfully without being considered unruly behaviour”.
“Passengers have the right to seek appropriate information and explanations from airlines on matters affecting their journey, such as delays, cancellations, changes to flights, denied boarding and baggage issues”.
“Passengers have the right to exercise their consumer rights without violence. This, by requesting explanations, asking for a supervisor, requesting applicable passenger-rights information, making formal complaints, preserving evidence and escalating unresolved complaints to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA”.
“The entire framework for these rights is contained in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023, Part 19, which establishes the regulatory framework for passengers’ rights and responsibilities and airlines’ obligations”.
“In cases where the provisions of Part 19 are triggered, passengers may have rights to appropriate care during qualifying delays and disruptions and others such as refreshments, meals, communication facilities, accommodation and transportation between the airport and accommodation”.
“Passengers have rights to reimbursement, re-routing and compensation. In qualifying circumstances, passengers may be entitled to recover fares, be re-routed to their destination at the earliest opportunity or at a later date convenient to them, and receive compensation subject to applicable conditions and exceptions”.
“On complaint procedures, passengers should ordinarily present their complaints directly to the airline. This, by clearly identifying what happened, the flight involved, the right allegedly breached, the remedy requested and supporting evidence”.
“Where an airline fails to satisfactorily resolve a complaint, the passenger has the right to escalate the matter to the NCAA, which has the regulatory role of investigating and resolving qualifying passenger complaints”.
“It is pertinent every passengers preserves evidence such as tickets, boarding passes, airline correspondence, receipts, photographs, notices, emails and SMS. maintaining a distinction between legitimate dissatisfaction and actual unlawful or dangerous conduct”.
“The lawful path for enforcing aviation rights is to ask, document, complain, escalate and seek legal remedy, rather than resort to confrontation or self-help”, Aviation Lawyer, Anthony Okolocha Odigwe Esq concluded..