FCCPC Summons Air Peace Over Alleged Non-Refund of Cancelled Flight Tickets

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has formally summoned Air Peace Limited following a wave of complaints from passengers nationwide regarding the airline’s alleged failure to refund ticket fares for flights it cancelled.

According to a statement released by Ondaje Ijagwu, Director of Corporate Affairs at the FCCPC on Monday, the airline’s conduct may violate Sections 130(1)(a) and (b), as well as Section 130(2)(b) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018. These sections guarantee consumers the right to prompt refunds when pre-paid services are not rendered due to a service provider’s failure.

In a formal summons dated June 13, 2025, the Commission cited Sections 32 and 33 of the FCCPA to compel the airline to appear at FCCPC headquarters in Abuja on Monday, June 23, 2025. Section 33(3) of the Act stipulates mandatory compliance, with possible penalties including fines or imprisonment for defaulters.

Air Peace is also directed to present a series of documents, including a log of refund-related complaints over the past 12 months, records of all refunds processed, a comprehensive list of cancelled flights on all routes during the same period, and evidence of steps taken to mitigate passenger hardship caused by cancellations.

This summons comes just months after a separate FCCPC inquiry into allegations of exploitative ticket pricing by the airline, which led Air Peace to initiate legal proceedings to halt the investigation. However, the Commission emphasized that the current summons concerns an entirely separate issue focused on non-refund practices.

“The FCCPC remains committed to enforcing the FCCPA (2018), holding service providers accountable, and ensuring consumers including airline passengers are protected from exploitative or unfair market practices,” the statement read.

Air Peace has yet to issue a public response to the latest developments.