February 13, (THEWILL) – Flight disruptions in the form delays and cancellations have become very rampant in recent time. The situation has worsened as kidnappers, bandits and armed robbers have taken over many roads in the country, thereby forcing many travellers to embrace air travel as an alternative.
The adoption of this mode of transport has further put pressure on the few airlines operating in the country, resulting in flight delays and cancellations.
Data obtained by THEWILL from the apex aviation regulatory agency Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) indicates that, in the first quarter of2021, 7,554 out of the 14,662 domestic flights operated in the country, were delayed.
Also, 562 flights were delayed out of the 1,871 international flights operated out of the country. Nine international and 149 domestic flights were cancelled.
According to the NCAA report, currently, there are about nine domestic airlines operating scheduled flights in the country, as 19 airlines operate international flights within and out of Nigeria.
Worried by the negative trend, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, in July 2021 announced that airlines should reimburse passengers after a two-hour delay. Six months after that announcement, Nigerians and non-Nigerians who patronise the airlines are yet to benefit from such a directive.
Also, the NCAA had on many occasions urged passengers to take advantage of available consumer protection laws, including compensations for denied boarding, delays and cancellations of flights.
Legally, traveling by air or using air transport services confers certain rights to the passengers. Some of these rights include the right to the full value for your money; the right to compensation for flight cancellation, delays, damaged/loss baggage and denied boarding for reasons other than technical, weather conditions, air traffic control restrictions, security risks and industrial disputes that affect the operation of the flight, among others.
Even under the Nigerian law, by virtue of Part 19 of the NCAA Consumer Protection Regulations, passengers on domestic flights are guaranteed certain levels of compensation if they are denied boarding or their flight is delayed, or their flight is cancelled.
Sadly, most air travellers are not accorded such rights. It is in the light of the above that the National Assembly decided to intervene in the system.
Speaking recently during the National Assembly joint oversight visit to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency NAMA in Lagos, Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Smart Adeyemi, said the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is planning to invite the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and the Director-General of NCAA to explain the persistent delays and cancellation of flights.
According to Senator Adeyemi, complaints by passengers on the situation were putting the Industry in a bad light.
Adeyemi also warned that airlines hinging delays on bad weather and operational reasons would no longer be tolerated.
According to him, real time weather information is provided by the Nigerian Meteorology Agency (NiMET), on a daily basis and wondered why airlines do not put this into consideration to avoid delaying passengers.
“When you get to the airport, there are people who stay as long as four or five hours at the airport. We want to know what the problem is and if there is a need for us to encourage other airlines to come into Nigeria to help us out we will do that because Nigerians want to fly now, the roads are not safe”.
Corroborating Senator Adeyemi, House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Aviation, Hon. Nnaji Nnolim insisted that the National Assembly would need an explanation from the operators, the DG, NCAA and other heads of aviation agencies on this recent development.
“We cannot take it. We will invite all the heads of agencies and discuss this issue of flight delays as it affects everybody because most times we ask them, they say operational reasons, technical reasons or whatever.”
The Acting Managing Director, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Mr Lawrence Pwajok, assured that all navigational facilities across airports in Nigeria to aid aircraft takeoff and landing in the event of bad weather had been installed.
“We are very objective and very professional when it comes to deployment of safety critical equipment that we are doing 100 per cent in every facility,” he said.
He stated that there had been massive investment in communication, navigation and surveillance facilities to ensure aircraft safety in Nigeria.
To the Chairman United Nigeria Airlines, Chief Obiora Okonkwo, flight delays and cancellations are a big challenge to airlines in the country.
Chief Okonkwo said the inability of the Federal Government to resolve issues around and install airfield lighting at Runway 18L of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) in Lagos was one of the reasons why there are delays and cancellation of flights.
According to the operator, the Lagos airport and 80-90 per cent of airports in the country run sunset operations hindering airlines.
Lamenting the challenges facing local airlines Okonkwo pointed out that, without AFL, funds are lost, with regard to operating after sunset.
He said that the sunset regime puts a lot of pressure on their operations and their schedule because “you have to schedule to make sure you start your business and end before sunset.”
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
