NCAA Summons Airlines Over Flight Disruptions

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has called an emergency meeting with all domestic airlines following rising complaints of flight disruptions across the country.

The authority’s Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday via his X handle, noting that the session will take place on Wednesday at the NCAA headquarters in Abuja.

“The NCAA has invited all domestic airlines to a meeting in Abuja slated for tomorrow, Wednesday,” Achimugu wrote.

He explained that discussions will focus on key issues affecting air travellers, including “Unruly passenger behaviour and passenger handling protocols; Unresolved refund/compensation issues; Introduction of RFID bag tags and flight monitoring technology; Enforcement of phone switch-off instruction and protection for cabin crew, as well as Improved travel experience for passengers.”

The move comes less than 24 hours after Achimugu had warned that the agency, acting under the mandate of the Federal Government, would begin “naming and shaming” airlines that delay or cancel flights without providing adequate care for passengers as required by Part 19 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations.

He raised concerns that when airlines abruptly cancel flights late at night without arranging welfare packages for stranded passengers, NCAA consumer protection officers are left exposed to anger and potential threats.

“The regulations stipulate that passengers stranded between the hours of 2200 and 0400 be given accommodation,” Achimugu stated. “The situation where airline staff intentionally disappear, leaving NCAA Consumer Protection Officers to handle justifiably irate and frustrated passengers, will no longer be tolerated.”

While acknowledging the operational challenges airlines face, he stressed that this cannot excuse poor treatment of passengers.

“While one understands the challenges that operators face in our peculiar operating environment, whoever willfully ventures into a business and wants to remain in it must do it well. We must not always choose the easy way out. Don’t you want to be called ‘world class’? Don’t you want to compete at the highest level? If not for the sake of the passengers who trust you to safely fly them, what about for your own pride?” he asked.