Flight Delays: Passengers to get free airtime as FCCPC pushes digital support rule

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has clarified that airline passengers experiencing flight delays in the country are legally entitled to airtime. Passengers could also receive transportation, refreshments and accommodation in cases of abrupt cancellations. The clarification comes amid growing chaos at Nigerian airports, driven by a severe aviation fuel crisis.

Ondaje Ijagwu, FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, disclosed on Channels Television’s Tuesday, outlining passenger rights that many Nigerians may not be aware of.

“If your flight is delayed, you are supposed to be given refreshments. After some more hours of delay, you are supposed to be given airtime,” Ijagwu said. “You could be seen to be at least in distress. So you will be required to be assisted to that extent.”

He added that in situations where a flight is cancelled outright, particularly after passengers have been kept waiting for extended periods, airlines are obligated to go further.

“When it comes to cancelling the flight abruptly, transport will be provided because the airport is quite far from the town or city,” he said. “Apart from that, accommodation could be provided in certain instances.”

The statement follows days of viral photos and videos showing passengers stranded at Nigerian airports, including at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Monday, where some airlines repeatedly rescheduled flights without offering any support, no transport, no meals, and no overnight arrangements.

The fuel crisis driving widespread flight delays

The immediate trigger for the disruptions is a dramatic surge in the cost of Jet A1 aviation fuel. The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has confirmed that fuel prices jumped from ₦900 per litre on February 28 to ₦3,300 per litre, a rise of over 300% within weeks.

In a letter to the Executive Secretary of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, airline operators said they had been absorbing the costs “out of patriotism and in the spirit of service to the nation” but that the burden had become unmanageable. “Airline revenues are insufficient to cover the cost of fuel alone,” the letter read.

AON had earlier threatened to shut down operations entirely if the situation was not addressed. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo has hinted at a possible hike in airfares to allow domestic airlines stay operational, a move that would transfer the cost pressure directly to passengers.

The FCCPC’s intervention is also happening against a broader regulatory backdrop in the aviation and consumer lending space. The same commission recently approved five new lenders, including Total Tim Nigeria Limited and Mode NG Applications Limited, to replace telcos like MTN, Airtel, and Glo in providing airtime and data credit services.

Also read: MTN, Airtel, Glo to lose over N300bn revenue as FCCPC approves new airtime and data lenders

This is after those operators suspended their XtraTime lending products over compliance issues with the DEON regulations.

Nigerian telecom operators are projected to lose over ₦300 billion in revenue from that suspension, underscoring how deeply the FCCPC’s regulatory reach now extends across Nigeria’s digital and consumer economy.

Passengers affected by delays or cancellations can now reference the FCCPC directive to demand refreshments, airtime compensation, and push for transport or accommodation where cancellations occur without adequate notice.