Flight Disruptions: NCAA Threatens Sanctions Against Domestic Airlines

The acting director-general of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Chris Najomo, has read the riot act to domestic airline operators, expressing displeasure at the alarming reports of incessant delays, flight disruptions, and schedule changes without adequate notice to passengers.

In a statement by NCAA spokesperson, Michael Achimugu, on Sunday, Capt. Najomo stated that the current record of flight disruptions, poor customer experience and poor handling of passengers were unacceptable and must be improved upon.

The NCAA boss stated that, “it is no longer business as usual as errant airlines will be sanctioned appropriately without fear or favor,” noting that NCAA has stepped up its surveillance to monitor compliance with a view to fish out violators.

He stated that airlines must rejig their flight schedules to match their number of serviceable aircraft and that airlines are all aware of the airports that have sunset operations.

According to him, “airlines must consider scheduling flights into sunset airports early in the day so as to minimize cancellations as a result of airport closure at sunset.”

Capt. Najomo stressed that NCAA will ensure that airlines fulfil their obligations to passengers or face sanctions.

“Airlines must handle persons with reduced mobility properly, with dignity and without discrimination as airlines are mandated to provide facilities for the movement of persons with reduced mobility and by virtue of the provisions of Nigeria Civil aviation regulations part 19, airlines are required to provide on their ticket portal a mandatory field for special needs assistance and require their agents to actively ask customers during ticket purchase if they will require assistance,” he reiterated.