The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued a stern warning to Royal Air Maroc, threatening to suspend its operations in Nigeria. This action stems from alleged persistent violations of consumer protection regulations and the poor treatment of Nigerian passengers by the Moroccan carrier.
The warning was announced on Thursday, July 23, 2026, by Michael Achimugu, the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, via a post on X. Achimugu accused Royal Air Maroc of repeatedly failing to improve its handling of Nigerian passengers despite previous regulatory sanctions.
According to Achimugu, Royal Air Maroc has consistently recorded baggage-related infractions, poor passenger handling, and extremely slow complaint resolution processes. He further alleged that the airline frequently fails to promptly notify passengers about delayed baggage and does not consistently provide immediate assistance to affected travellers.
Complaints are often only resolved after intervention by the NCAA. Achimugu also accused the airline’s Country Manager, Ahmed Boussouf, of repeatedly ignoring invitations to regulatory meetings convened by the authority in Abuja, preferring to remain in Lagos.
Instead of attending, the airline would hastily send an email on the eve of meetings, stating that cases were being processed. Subsequently, it would send one Theophilus, their Abuja representative, who lacked the authority to resolve cases or make commitments.
During one engagement on Thursday, Boussouf allegedly responded dismissively to the regulator, stating, “Whatever you want to do, do.” Achimugu emphasized that the authority would not tolerate such continued non-compliance by the airline.
His department will recommend the suspension of Royal Air Maroc’s operations in Nigeria until the airline demonstrates a commitment to complying with Nigerian aviation regulations and improving passenger handling. Achimugu stated that strict enforcement would occur, ensuring stiffer penalties against Royal Air Maroc this time.
He added that international airlines operating under Bilateral Air Service Agreements are expected to comply with Nigeria’s aviation regulations and maintain acceptable standards of passenger service. The NCAA had previously sanctioned Air Peace, Ethiopian Airlines, Arik Air, Aero Contractors, and Royal Air Maroc on December 28, 2024, for violations of Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023 relating to consumer protection.
Royal Air Maroc subsequently paid the penalty imposed over these consumer protection violations in September 2025. As of the time of filing this report, Royal Air Maroc had not publicly responded to the NCAA’s latest allegations.
