The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has given domestic airlines a seven-day deadline to comply with regulations requiring them to provide a mandatory special-needs assistance feature on their ticketing platforms for passengers with disabilities. In a statement, Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, Michael Achimugu, warned that airlines failing to comply would face regulatory action.

The NCAA’s directive, reiterated from a 2022 letter, requires airlines to include a prominent field on their online platforms for passengers to request assistance or notify special needs. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) 2023 mandate airlines to offer assistance at booking and include a designated field for special-needs requests.

The NCAA emphasized its commitment to promoting inclusive air travel and stressed that compliance is mandatory. Airlines must integrate the special-needs assistance feature into their systems to allow passengers to request support before completing ticket purchases.