Yuletide: NCAA assures seamless flight operations as airlines scale up capacity

Citing the rate at which airlines are acquiring more aircraft to scale up their capacity, the Acting Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Chris Najomo, has assured seamless flight operations during the Yuletide season.

The Acting DGCA, who gave the assurance during an awareness campaign to sensitise passengers on their rights and obligations, stated that Air Peace has acquired about 4–5 aircraft, United Nigeria has acquired 3, while Ibom Air and Virgin Air have acquired 2 each.

He said the issue of low aircraft capacity for Nigerian airlines has become a thing of the past, adding that with the new acquisitions, there will be no issues of flight delays during the Yuletide season.

Regarding airline responsibilities during flight delays, Najomo explained that airlines are expected to serve light refreshments if a flight is delayed after the first 2 hours. If the delay extends beyond 3 hours, refunds must be made. If payment was made in cash, passengers should receive an immediate refund, while online payments must be refunded within 2 weeks. For overnight delays, airlines are required to provide hotel accommodations.

He, however, appealed to airlines to inform passengers promptly about flight delays, noting that flight delays are a common occurrence globally and no airline deliberately delays flights without valid reasons.

He added that airlines could explore the possibility of rebooking passengers, given the existing alliances among airlines.

Najomo said that many people are unaware of their rights, which is why the awareness campaign is being carried out to educate passengers about their rights as well as the responsibilities of airlines.

He noted that passengers also have obligations and must follow certain rules, stressing that passengers should not blame airlines if they are late to catch their flights.

The Acting DGCA explained that the awareness campaign is being conducted across the nation’s airports and includes a roadshow from their office to the terminal, where passengers will be sensitized accordingly.

To lodge complaints, Najomo stated that the NCAA has a portal where passengers can file complaints and receive immediate responses. Additionally, the authority has desks across 22 airports where passengers can lodge complaints in person.

He advised passengers to arrive at the airport 2 hours before departure for domestic flights and 3 hours for international flights.

He said, “Passengers cannot go to the airport 30 minutes before departure and expect to board the flight, because counters may have closed. If you behave unruly, FAAN security will hold you. It is when you get there 2 hours before the flight and you are denied boarding that the NCAA can intervene.”

The Director of Consumer Protection and Publicity, Dr. Mike Achimugu, commended the Acting DGCA for his support, noting that under his leadership, the authority has rebranded itself to perform optimally.

He assured that the Consumer Protection Department would work with both airlines and passengers to ensure compliance with instructions and regulations.