Nigerians lament abrupt flight cancellation, delayed refund by Ng Eagle Airline

Nigerians lament abrupt flight cancellation, delayed refund by Ng Eagle Airline

Joel Oladele, Abuja

The hope and aspiration of Nigerians in the aviation industry were raised when Ng Eagle Airline inaugurated its commercial services throughout Nigeria with a flight between Abuja Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and Lagos on Sunday December 10.

However, in a disappointing turn of events, the Airline has come under scrutiny as a wave of flight cancellations left passengers stranded and frustrated. Consequently, the supposed reliable choice for air travel, now faces backlash for its handling of the situation, raising concerns about customer satisfaction and operational transparency barely a month into operations.

While flight cancellation is not a new thing to air travelers in Nigeria, the manner of approach from the airline management makes the difference.

Ng Eagle Airline finds itself in hot water as a double blow of flight cancellations and prolonged delays in refunding customers has left a trail of disgruntled passengers. What should have been a routine travel experience turned into a nightmare for many as the airline’s mismanagement unfolded, showcasing a disregard for customer satisfaction and financial responsibility.

Adding insult to injury, the aftermath of the cancellations revealed a sluggish and seemingly indifferent approach to refunding affected customers. 

Speaking with National Periscope, one of the victims in Abuja, Mr Olanrewaju Asuni who booked a return ticket on December 31 against January 19 alongside two other people from Abuja to Lagos expressed his disappointment on how his flight was called off abruptly. 

As if that was not enough, when he reached out to their agent, he was told both to and fro are canceled and he may have to wait for weeks before getting a refund.

“asking for a refund, they said it would take 21 working days if you lodge a complaint and that it is not certain it will be done.

“it’s not a case of change in flight time, it’s an outright cancellation of both to and fro ticket I already paid for without any reasonable consolation in view.

“I have an important event in Lagos with my family, yet these people thought this is the best approach to the issue without taking into consideration what their epileptic operation could cause their customers. 

“This is rather unfortunate, coming from an airline that raised the hope of many Nigerians prior to their inauguration. It was after my experience with them I got to know I’m not alone in this mess” He lamented

Asuni added that in spite of the incessant disappointment, they never stopped selling tickets knowing well that the flight will be canceled without any alternative arrangement or plans to reimburse their customers. This has led to financial stress and exacerbating the negative impact of the initial cancellations.

Social media platforms were flooded with complaints from disgruntled passengers, detailing their experiences of long waits, unresponsive customer service, and inadequate compensation for the inconvenience caused. Some travelers reported financial losses due to missed connections and non-refundable accommodations.

A Facebook user, Khalil Neff Ahidjo sharing his ugly experience with the airline in a post titled ‘’Worst Experience with NG Eagle Airline’ said: “Shocked and disappointed by NG Eagle Airlines! Yesterday, they suddenly canceled my flight from Yola to Abuja. I immediately tried to secure a ticket with Max Air and Air Peace for their later flights, unfortunately both were completely sold out.

“Not only that, even the flights for the next day were fully booked. It’s frustrating to face such unforeseen circumstances, especially when trying to reach a destination. NG Eagle Airlines’ abrupt cancellation left me stranded and scrambling for alternatives. 

“The simple one-hour flight has spiraled into a two-day road journey, starting yesterday from Yola through Gombe to Kano, and today, Kano to Abuja. As I type this, I’m still en route, facing the stress, security challenges, and the exhaustion of this unexpected turn of events.

“Adding to the chaos caused by Ng Eagle  Airline sudden cancellation, this ordeal disrupted my work plans. I was due back at work today, but their unexpected cancellation meant I had to hastily arrange coverage with a colleague.

“I’m exploring ways to report this to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority NCAA and consider filing a lawsuit. If you have any advice or assistance regarding these steps, please reach out. Your guidance would be greatly appreciated!”

Reacting to the post, Isah B Hamman said: “That’s truly a bitter experience. In an attempt to promote indigenous business….it’s my prayers that  our people call the attention of the CEO to address and forestall future occurrence.  Notwithstanding I urge my comrade Khalil Neff Ahidjo to fight for our rights”

Mansur Kurugu said: “It is unfortunate that our service providers don’t respect customers needs and are so insensitive to the impact their failure creates. I think you can start with the Servicom and a law suit is also amazing, at least to get justice and to serve as deterrent against this kind of quarks service providers.”

Nuri James Sani also had this to say about the airline: “I know of 3 people that experienced the same thing on 2nd Jan. I think even the NCCA are guilty. To start with, how many airline(s) did they register with to start flying routes here in Nigeria?”

Kamal Idi stated: “I’m saying this without being apologetic, NG Eagle airline is the worst airline! Why would they cancel flights without informing their valuable customers, the extraordinary times and circumstances we currently live in. This is obviously not how airlines would like to work, barely 3 weeks into operations this is not fair and I must say they are lacking professionalism.”

Yusuf Jabatawa Jabs while drawing the attention of one of the social media influencers who have been promoting the brand said “Abdul Kezo IkonAllah this is the exact opposite of your beautiful reviews.”Replying, IkonAllah jokingly said “I was a victim too. Adding ‘kawai Muna promoting nagida ne,’’ meaning we are just promoting at home”

Earlier concern about leased aircraft

National Periscope gathered that some citizens have earlier expressed concern on how Ng Eagle was allowed to start flight operations with a leased aircraft, describing it as a breach of Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Regulation 2006 as amended.

Defending the allegation on leased aircraft, a management staff of the airline, Roland Ahmed defended it, explaining they still have three Boeing 737 NG aircraft registered in Nigeria and handed over to NG Eagle by Super Bravo Limited, which were used for flight demonstration that earned the airline an Air Operator Certificate (AOC).

“We are free to use leased aircraft because we carried out demonstration flight with Nigerian registered aircraft, which are still in our fleet but currently off spec and due for maintenance.

“The two Airbus A320 we leased are in addition to our existing three Boeing B737NG that we used for demonstration. We are using leased aircraft because we already have Part G approval.”

This is particularly interesting due to the fact that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) does not allow airlines to commence operations with wet-leased aircraft. The NCAA holds that airlines can only start operations with a Nigerian-registered (5N) aircraft.

However, the continuous disappointment being faced by customers has justified the concerns earlier raised by citizens about the leased aircraft as nothing about its operation so far has proven that it’s ready for business.

The airline is indisputably the cheapest in the country currently and it’s also enjoying the “this is our own” sentiment as an indigenous aviation service provider.

In a post on its Facebook page on December 1, 2023, Ng Eagle Airline promised its customers excellent customer service, However, the negative feedbacks from customers so far have proven otherwise.

The post read: “We provide Exceptional Customer Service + Reliability + SAFETY + SAFETY + SAFETY = Eagle Airways.  We are your ‘’ go to ‘’ airline providing unparalleled service in charter and commercial aviation.  We are an indigenous aviation service provider with an excellent customer service and exceptional human resource at all levels of our organization.

“ With our highly trained and motivated staff, we are set to providing you with an unforgettable airline experience. Our customers remain our focus as we focus on exceptional service delivery.   Our constant innovation and leverage on new technology keeps us at the forefront of our industry with the goal of giving the best of customer service experience.  

“We maintain a 24/7 world class call center with a highly interactive customer support system to address all our customer’s needs. We will deliver consistently on our brand promise of safety, affordability and convenience which positions us as a major global player. We are here to serve you giving utmost priority to your demands knowing fully well that you are the reason we do what we do.

“Our pledge is to serve you maximally without any form of infidelity. And together we will rise on the Eagles wing.  So, just relax and sit tight… Eagle Airways’ got you covered.  Welcome on-board!”

The question on the lips of many Nigerians is “what happened to those promises?” as their experiences so far with the airline have shown that it’s just another political promise to deceive the public.

The attention of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has been drawn to the unfortunate development and this informed the recent summon where the authority warned that it will not hesitate to sanction NG Eagle Airline if it doesn’t address the flight disruption, experienced in the month of December, 2023.

At the meeting held with the management of the airline on the 3rd of January, 2024, the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu warned that the Authority would not sit down and watch Nigerians suffer after paying so much to enjoy their flights as the it would not hesitate to activate its regulatory action if it continues to treat its passengers with contempt.

He said it is unacceptable that the airline makes itself incommunicado when it experiences flight disruptions.

According to him, “The minister and the Director General are not happy. I was at the airport for another business, I encountered a lot of aggrieved passengers. One thing I feel offended about is the fact that we know flight disruptions happen but when your airline experiences disruptions for whatever reason, your officers disappear. 

“The passengers cannot even meet them for clarifications or support and even the Authority’s Consumer Protection Officers (CPOs) can’t reach your staff. Our CPOs are supposed to get the right briefing from you to be able to advise the passengers’ when they come to our office to complain.”

“For over one week, you had too many cases. This is unacceptable. You have left so much unattended to and we are not happy about it” he said.

He also told them not to further sell tickets until all the technical issues with the airline have been resolved, adding that the airline should have suspended ticket sales immediately if they had technical issues that would take time to resolve.

“If this continues, the hammer has to go down. Regulatory action will have to be taken,” he warned.

He  mandated airlines to always issue public statements on major disruptions of flight operations.

Responding, the accountable manager/managing director, NG Eagle, Capt. Kiddie Dare apologised for the lack of communication by the airline with the passengers and the NCAA.

He explained that they had some technical issues they were trying to resolve hence the several canceled flights in one week.

While citizens appreciate the NCAA for its intervention, they still call on the Authority to prevail on Ng Eagle Airline to stop the sales of tickets to people until they are fully certified ready for operations as they(citizens) can not continue to bear the brunt of its unpreparedness. 

The Authority also need to make the airline refund the victims as soon as possible so that alternative arrangements can be made.

The 21 working days coming from its customer service can be interpreted as the highest level of insensitivity and nonchalant attitude towards customers’ welfare. This is completely in contrast to its initial promises.

No doubt, the idea of an indigenous flight is a laudable one. However, what is worth doing at all, is worth doing well regardless of who is involved.

The delayed refunds not only tarnish Ng Eagle Airline’s reputation further but also raise serious questions about the company’s financial integrity and commitment to customer welfare. Industry experts are now urging regulatory bodies to investigate the matter, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in handling such situations.

As passengers continue to share their harrowing experiences, Ng Eagle Airline faces an uphill battle in regaining the trust of its customers. The incident serves as a stark reminder to the aviation industry of the profound impact that poor communication and delayed financial redress can have on an airline’s credibility and customer relations.