The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has threatened stricter sanctions against Royal Air Maroc, including a possible suspension of its operations in Nigeria, over what it described as persistent consumer protection violations and poor treatment of Nigerian passengers.

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, disclosed this in a statement posted on his official X account on Thursday.

Achimugu accused the Moroccan carrier of repeatedly violating passengers’ rights through baggage handling failures, poor complaint resolution, and what he described as disregard for regulatory directives.

According to him, Royal Air Maroc has remained one of the worst-performing international airlines in Nigeria regarding baggage infractions, passenger handling, and the resolution of consumer complaints.

He recalled that the airline was sanctioned for consumer protection-related infractions in 2025, expressing disappointment that the regulatory action had not resulted in significant improvements.

“Having been sanctioned for the first time ever for consumer protection-related infractions in 2025, one would have expected very major improvements in the way they attend to complaints from Nigerian passengers,” Achimugu said.

He alleged that affected passengers continue to experience delayed or missing baggage without prompt notification, while the airline has consistently failed to provide mandatory “first need” assistance to stranded passengers. He added that many complaints are only addressed after the NCAA intervenes and applies regulatory pressure.

Achimugu also accused the airline of repeatedly ignoring invitations from the aviation regulator, describing the conduct as unacceptable.

He specifically named Royal Air Maroc’s Country Manager, Ahmed Boussouf, alleging that he routinely declines invitations to attend regulatory meetings in Abuja, instead sending an Abuja-based representative whom he said lacks the authority to resolve complaints or make binding commitments on behalf of the airline.

According to Achimugu, a similar incident occurred on Thursday during a scheduled meeting with the airline.

He further alleged that during an exchange over the airline’s handling of passenger complaints, Boussouf told him, “Whatever you want to do, do.”

The NCAA official said the regulator would no longer tolerate what he described as continued disregard for Nigerian passengers and the authority.

He stated that his department would recommend a temporary suspension of Royal Air Maroc’s operations in Nigeria until the airline demonstrates a commitment to complying with Nigeria’s consumer protection regulations and improving its treatment of passengers.

“Strict enforcement will happen against this airline and my department will push for a stoppage of Royal Air Maroc operations in Nigeria until they make a commitment to treat Nigerian passengers better,” he said.

Achimugu maintained that international airlines operating in Nigeria are bound by Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASA) as well as obligations to provide quality services to passengers.

He also argued that Nigerian travellers have alternative carriers, including Air Algerie, EgyptAir and Ethiopian Airlines, and therefore should not be subjected to poor service.
The NCAA official pledged that the authority would pursue stiffer penalties against Royal Air Maroc, insisting that consumer rights would be protected through strict enforcement of aviation regulations.

Royal Air Maroc had not publicly responded to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.