The Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s (FCCPC) authority to investigate consumer complaints over airline ticket pricing, ruling that such investigations do not amount to price regulation.

In a judgment delivered on June 29, 2026, Justice B.F.M. Nyako dismissed a suit filed by Air Peace Limited, which challenged the commission’s power to investigate allegations of exploitative airfare pricing.

The court held that the FCCPC’s investigative powers under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA), 2018, are distinct from its authority to regulate prices. It ruled that the commission acted within its legal mandate when it sought information from Air Peace following widespread complaints over sharp increases in domestic airfares in December 2024.

Air Peace had argued that the FCCPC could not investigate airfare pricing unless the President first invoked the price regulation provisions of the FCCPA. The airline also asked the court to restrain the commission from carrying out such investigations.

Justice Nyako rejected the argument, holding that the FCCPC lawfully exercised its powers under Sections 17, 32 and 33 of the FCCPA. The judge noted that the commission neither directed Air Peace to reduce its fares nor imposed a pricing formula or declared the airline’s ticket prices unlawful.

The court further ruled that accepting Air Peace’s position would effectively prevent the FCCPC from investigating pricing-related consumer complaints unless the President activated the Act’s price regulation provisions, an interpretation it said was inconsistent with the intention of the law.

The judgment aligns with an earlier ruling delivered in April 2026 by Justice James Omotosho, who also upheld the FCCPC’s authority to investigate consumer complaints and issue summons in the discharge of its statutory duties.

Reacting to the decision, FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, described the ruling as a significant affirmation of the commission’s mandate to investigate market practices that may adversely affect consumers or competition.

In a statement, the commission stressed that its inquiry into Air Peace’s airfare pricing was a fact-finding exercise and not an attempt to regulate ticket prices, adding that an investigation does not amount to a finding of liability or enforcement action. It reaffirmed its commitment to carrying out its responsibilities in line with the law and due process.