The Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Chris Najomo, has directed all domestic airline CEOs to convene for a meeting in Nigeria on Friday.
The meeting is meant to address consistent flight delays and cancellations especially during the festive season.
This was disclosed by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA, Michael Achimugu, on his X handle on Thursday.
Achimugu who recounted his experience at the airport while trying to catch a flight himself and witnessed passengers getting angry and threatening violence after their flight was cancelled. He said:
“I personally addressed them and engaged for about 20 minutes, explaining that I would confirm from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMET, if the weather was truly bad. I also explained that the airline does not have liability in the event of force majeure,” he said.
According to him, despite this, he took certain measures to address the concerns of passengers.
“I insisted that the airline provide transportation back to the Central area for all passengers. I paid for nearby accommodation (Peace Media Hotel) for a few elderly passengers who looked too weak after the lengthy wait.
“The airline agreed to pay 50 per cent compensation to the passengers and agreed to also refund those who sought a refund. “I told the passengers that they could redeem that 50 per cent by cash rather than rebate if they wanted.
“I opened my phone and let as many passengers as possible to scan the NCAA QR code for passengers complaints, and told them to contact me if the airline fails to resolve their complaints by tomorrow morning,” Achimugu explained.
The director recalled that a few days ago the NCAA announced it would enforce action against five airlines, adding that this will be the first time in more than 10 years that the Consumer Protection Department of the NCAA is taking such action.
It is hoped that unruly flight cancellations and delays at airports would be addressed seriously by flight owners.
