The Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed the powers of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate consumer complaints over airline ticket pricing, delivering a judgment that reinforces the Commission’s oversight role while drawing a clear distinction between market investigations and price regulation.
The decision, delivered by Justice B.F.M. Nyako on June 29, dismissed a suit filed by Air Peace Limited seeking to restrain the FCCPC from investigating complaints over alleged exploitative airfares, a ruling expected to strengthen the Commission’s ability to scrutinise pricing practices across sectors where consumers raise credible concerns.
In a statement issued Friday, Ondaje Ijagwu, FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, said the court held that the Commission acted within its statutory investigative powers under Sections 17, 32 and 33 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA), 2018, when it requested information from the airline following widespread complaints about sharp increases in domestic airfares during the 2024 Christmas travel period.
Justice Nyako ruled that the Commission’s request for information formed part of a lawful fact-finding exercise and did not amount to price regulation under Sections 88, 89 and 90 of the Act.
