Max Air, a Nigerian airline, has held on to a N55,000 refund Edi Theophilus Mawo, a staff member at the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, paid as airfare for a cancelled Sokoto–Abuja flight in April.

Mawo told FIJ that he bought a flight ticket with the local airline on April 24, 2023, and the departure was scheduled for May 8, 2023. Before the departure date, the airline texted him a short message saying it was cancelling the flight.

He opted to reschedule the flight because Max Air told him its aircraft would be flying the same route on the second day. He was then ready to embark on the journey on May 9, confident that the company would be true to its words.

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A few hours to May 9, Mawo was prepared to be at the Sadiq Abubakar III International Airport very early with his mind set to land in Abuja safely, but the company had another message for him. He got a heartbreaking message from the company terminating the flight arrangement again.

Not ready to reschedule to another uncertain day, he resorted to travel by road. Up till this day, the airline had not refunded the airfare, despite repeated demands from Mawo.

“On April 24, I booked a flight going from Sokoto to Abuja with Max Air. Before the departure day, the company cancelled the flight, claiming it was due to operational reasons,” Mawo told FIJ.

“I contacted the company and they told me I could reschedule to May 9. I did that because I did not want to take the risk of travelling by road.

“I was about going to bed on May 8 when I received another message from the company. It was a cancellation message. I felt sad reading it. I hit them up on WhatsApp to express my unhappiness with their operations.

“The lady that responded demanded that I forward my flight reservation details, including booking reference number AFKQRS, and I promptly provided them. She told me she would send it to the appropriate section for an action.

“Nothing has been done since then. I have made several phone calls in an attempt to remind them that my request for refund has not been honoured. A representative assured me that the company had initiated the process and I would be refunded in good time.

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“I also visited their office at Murijanatu House, Maitama in Abuja on July 26, in a desperate attempt to get my refund, but met no one there. Again, I shared all useful documents with the representative at the airport. I have not been refunded or reached by the company as regard my request.”

FIJ sent an email to Max Air on Thursday for its comment on this story, the airline had not responded at press time.