More than two weeks after the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) gave Dana Air, a Nigerian aviation firm whose Air Operator Certificate (AOC) was suspended in April, a deadline to clear its customer refund backlog, EQ can confirm that the airline still owes several of its customers.

Michael Achimugu, the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, had told EQ on August 21 that the regulatory body had given the airline a two-week timeline to clear its payment backlog.

“This means that a two-week timeline was given because the meeting was held last week and feedback is expected next week. We will reach out to affected passengers,” Achimugu had told EQ.

READ ALSO: How Dana Air Held Nigerians to Ransom After 2 Safety Suspensions in 2 Years

Between reaching out to the airline and the end of the timeframe, EQ reported nine cases of withheld refunds but only two of such refunds were processed.

Some of these passengers whose ticket costs had not been refunded told EQ that every attempt to recover their funds had been futile because the airline was uncooperative.

Amanda Ofodum, one of the affected customers whose case was reported by EQ, shared her frustration over the continued delay in receiving the N129,600 she paid for a round trip, saying: “I just want to know if you guys have any update from Dana Air. I have tried to call, but there has been no response from them.”

Yomi Oduneye, who has been waiting for three months since Dana Air trapped his N81,000, told EQ on August 29 that he had sent another reminder to the airline, but he received a response that his details had been re-forwarded to the refund department.

“I contacted Dana Air again, and they said they were processing my refund request all over,” the civil servant said.

Kingsley Ezenwa, Dana Air’s communication consultant, texted EQ on Friday to say the refund process was still ongoing and every ticket would be refunded.

“Like I mentioned earlier, every ticket must be verified before payment or refund is made and that process is still ongoing. Nothing has changed. Every ticket will be refunded,” he said.

A customer who asked not to be named did not share that optimism, though, telling EQ that Nigerian airlines often behave this way because of the toothlessness of NCAA.

“Imagine the regulatory body issuing a deadline that the airline missed, and it is still business as usual,” he said. “If you didn’t know NCAA was toothless, now you do.”

READ ALSO: Dana Air Debts Mount as Lagos Resident Demands N253,168 Refund

EQ sent a message to Achimugu via X on Friday, asking if the airline had honoured the ultimatum given to it by the regulatory body but there was no response from him at press time.

On August 21, EQ reported how Dana Air had held hundreds of naira belonging to Nigerians ransom amid two safety suspensions between 2022 and 2024.

According to the NCAA, at the point of both suspensions, the airline was not in a position to meet its financial obligations and to conduct safe flight operations.

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