Determined to tackle the menace of flight delays and cancellations by the airlines in Nigeria, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has held a crucial meeting with the airline operators and other relevant stakeholders.
At a meeting held at the premises of the regulatory authority at its Lagos head office at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, the Director General of the NCAA, Captain Chris Najomo, lamented how flight delays and cancellations have imposed huge discomforts on passengers, businesses, the credibility of the aviation industry, and national development as a whole.
The NCAA DG backed up his complaints with the revelation that between September and October 2024, out of the 10,804 flights operated by the Nigerian airlines, no fewer than 5,415 of the flights, representing 48 per cent of the total flights, were either delayed or cancelled.
This is as the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has threatened to impose sanctions in compliance with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) 2022 (Consumer Protection) Regulations 2023.
While revealing that 5,225 of the total flights were delayed, with another 190 cancelled, Najomo disclosed that in September, out of the 5,291 domestic flights operated by the airlines, a total of 2,434 delays were recorded with 79 cancellations.
Equally, in October, 5,513 flights were operated with 2,791 delays and 111 cancellations among the domestic operators.
The CAA DG, however, acknowledged that various issues often lead to flight delays and cancellations among airlines globally, but blamed most delays and cancellations among the Nigerian airlines on poor management and planning.
According to Najomo, some of the causes of flight delays and cancellations are operational, technical, V.I.P. movements, or weather-related issues like harmattan.
In defence of the Nigerian airlines, though the DG identified the challenges faced by airlines to include infrastructural limitations and operational constraints, he insisted that these challenges should not come at the expense of the passengers.
Calling on the airlines to ensure that every disruption is well-handled with the utmost professionalism and regard for passengers’ rights, he declared that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) on Consumer Protection are not optional, but mandatory obligations.
The DG remarked: “Today, I wish to address a matter of increasing concern to our industry. Flight disruptions, delays, and significant changes to schedules and cancellations in Nigeria; this issue has far-reaching implications for passengers, businesses, the credibility of the aviation industry, and national development as a whole.
“It is the responsibility of airlines to ensure that every disruption, whether due to operational, technical, or weather-related challenges, is handled with the utmost professionalism and regard for passengers’ rights, particularly as we are in the Harmattan season with poor weather conditions that will affect flight operations.
“Adequate compensation is provided where applicable. Non-compliance with these regulations will not be tolerated, and going forward, the NCAA will not hesitate to impose the necessary penalties where violations are observed. I have instructed my team to monitor and enforce compliance and apply sanctions.
“My team has engaged the industry in the last year by organizing awareness, sensitization, and training sessions for the airlines and the association of travel agents to re-educate them on the provisions of the Nigerian Civil Aviation regulations and airline obligations to passengers in the event of disruptions.”
He urged the Nigerian airlines to invest in robust operational systems that could minimize avoidable delays, ensure transparency in communication with passengers during disruptions, and strengthen contingency plans for emergencies or unforeseen circumstances.
Najomo further reiterated the commitment of the apex regulatory body in civil aviation in Nigeria to supporting airlines in overcoming operational challenges by identifying the root causes of delays and cancellations and implementing sustainable solutions but added that this must be based on a mutual commitment to improving service delivery and upholding industry standards.
Earlier in the week, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, had issued a stern warning to defaulting airlines, threatening that the agency would carry out sanctions in compliance with the rules.
Achimugu had also last month vowed to implement to the letter Part 19 of the NCARs in a bid to guard against passengers’ delayed luggage and other violations by airlines.
In compliance with the NCARs, the regulatory agency is imposing fines of $170 and N10,000 on foreign and local airlines, respectively, for delayed passengers’ luggage as a first measure.
He also said that such delayed luggage must be delivered to the affected passenger on international routes within 21 days, while for local flights, it must be delivered within seven days.
According to Achimugu: “The little things about the regulations that the passengers need to know, for instance, if you arrive at an airport and your luggage didn’t arrive with you, most passengers do not know that they have a right to demand compensation from the airlines.
“If it is a domestic flight, you can walk to the airline’s counter to demand your N10,000 for not bringing your bag with you. For international flights, it is $170. A lot of passengers do not know this, but today, we are bringing an end to that circle of ignorance. We are bringing the regulations to Nigerians in an exciting manner.”
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