The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said the Federal Government may move to seize or liquidate assets belonging to Dana Air in order to refund passengers and travel agents whose funds remain trapped following the suspension of the airline’s operations.
Keyamo made this known during a stakeholder engagement session in Abuja, where he directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to fully investigate why outstanding refunds have yet to be processed.
He said the decision to ground the airline was based strictly on safety concerns, noting that authorities were faced with a “choice between safety and disaster.”
According to him, reports submitted to the ministry and the NCAA before the suspension raised serious red flags about the airline’s operational standards and overall safety record.
“The priority was safety. We looked at the damning reports on the table. If they had continued flying, many Nigerians could have been put at serious risk,” Keyamo said.
He added that the government will no longer allow operators with unresolved liabilities to re-enter the aviation sector under new names or business identities without first settling outstanding debts.
“One solution is to ensure that any individuals linked to Dana Air who are trying to reapply under any guise must first pay what they owe. We should also look at their available assets. Let them sell those assets. The NCAA should go after them so Nigerians can be refunded,” he said.
Keyamo emphasised that the ministry is determined to ensure affected passengers are repaid, insisting that no airline will be allowed to “walk away” without accountability.
Meanwhile, the NCAA disclosed that more than 9,000 passengers have received refunds or compensation this year between January and September. Additional claims are still being reviewed in line with regulatory timelines.
The Authority also confirmed that several enforcement actions and sanctions were issued against operators for consumer rights violations, while most passenger complaints—especially those related to refunds and baggage delays—were resolved within stipulated periods.
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