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By Chinelo Obogo
The Acting Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo, has read the riot act to domestic airline operators, expressing displeasure at the reports of incessant delays, flight disruptions and schedule changes without adequate notice to passengers.
A statement by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr. Mike Achimugu, said the DG at the weekend, reiterated the need for airlines to improve their services, saying that the current record of flight disruptions, poor customer experience and poor handling of passengers is unacceptable and must be improved upon. He said airlines must rejig their flight scheduled to match their number of serviceable aircraft and that airlines are all aware of the airports which have sunset operations.
Capt. Najomo said NCAA will ensure that airlines fulfil their obligations to passengers or face sanctions and that the Authority will not relent in its commitment to ensuring pleasurable travel experience and comfort for air transport passengers. He said NCAA has stepped up its surveillance to monitor compliance with a view to fish out violators.
“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.
It is no longer business as usual as errant airlines will be sanctioned appropriately without fear or favour,” he said.
However, airlines have raised concerns which include poor airport facilities, the single standby generator at the General Aviation Terminal in Lagos, frequent bird strikes, bush burning in Port Harcourt congested boarding gates, etc.
