Nigerian Aviation Authority, NCAA vows to sanction airlines over flight delays, cancellations

• The statement was conveyed by Michael Achimugu, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection for NCAA

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) strongly opposes the persistent issue of flight delays and cancellations, vowing to impose sanctions on non-compliant airlines.

Captain Chris Najomo, the director general, issued a stern warning to domestic carriers, cautioning that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, might enforce a five-point agenda mandated by President Bola Tinubu if the disruptions persist.

The statement, conveyed by Michael Achimugu, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection for NCAA, highlighted the DG’s dissatisfaction with poor customer experiences and mishandling of passengers, urging airlines to enhance their services or face repercussions, as reported by Tribune.

Najomo who lamented how the airlines abruptly rescheduled flights without adequate notice to passengers, emphasised the need for the airlines to re-adjust their flight schedule to match their number of serviceable aircraft.

While stressing that the airlines are also aware of the airports with sunset operations, Najomo declared: “The airlines must consider scheduling flights into sunset airports early in the day to minimise cancellations as a result of airport closure at sunset.

“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.”

Threatening that it would no longer be business as usual, the DG warned that errant airlines would be sanctioned appropriately without fear or favour.

He used the opportunity to announce how the NCAA had stepped up its surveillance to monitor compliance to fish out violators of the civil aviation regulations.

Najomo maintained that Keyamo was focused on sanitising the aviation industry, adding that sanctions would be applied for any infractions or flight disruptions not managed properly.

The airlines in the statement issued by the NCAA had during the meeting raised concerns of poor airport facilities, single standby generator at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), in Lagos, frequent bird strikes, bush burning in Port Harcourt, and congested boarding gates.