The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has vowed to sanction domestic airline operators over the persistent flight delays, disruptions and cancellations that have affected the aviation industry.
In a statement released on Sunday, the acting Director-General, NCAA, Chris Najomo emphasised that erring airlines would face appropriate sanctions without exemption.
He also underscored the need for airlines to prioritise passenger welfare and comply with regulations, stating that the NCAA would intensify its oversight to ensure adherence.
The NCAA DG frowned at what he termed “the alarming reports” of flight delays, disruptions, and schedule changes without adequate notice to passengers.
He underscored the necessity for immediate improvements, emphasising that the aviation sector plays a crucial role in Nigeria’s transportation infrastructure.
He pointed out that airlines should be fully aware of airports with sunset operations, urging them to tailor their schedules accordingly.
Najomo stressed that the NCAA would ensure that airlines fulfill their obligations to passengers or face sanctions.
“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” he reiterated.
He explained that “it was no longer business as usual as errant airlines will be sanctioned appropriately without fear or favor” noting that NCAA has stepped up its surveillance to monitor compliance with a view to fish out violators.
The DG emphasised that the authority would not relent in its commitment to ensuring pleasurable travel experience and comfort for air transport passengers.
Flight disruption is a significant issue in the aviation sector, affecting both domestic and international travel. The causes of flight delays and cancellations in Nigeria are multifaceted and include poor infrastructure, harsh weather conditions, fuel scarcity, and labor union issues.
According to the NCAA in its first quarter of 2023 flight report, out of 3,073 international flights in the country, 1,193 were delayed. During this period, 55 per cent (10,128 flights) of the 18,288 domestic flights were delayed, 1.55 per cent (284) were canceled.
The Managing Director of Finum Aviation Services, Sheri Kyari, told The PUNCH in December that factors such as heavy traffic, technical issues requiring aircraft returns, maintenance-related withdrawals affecting routes, crew unavailability could cause delays, and disruptions due to VIP movements.
He noted, “As airlines begin their schedules in the morning, they face a lot of extraneous factors that may disrupt their planned operations. One, too much traffic can start to affect their operations as minutes are taken due to traffic.
“If an aircraft has a technical issue and requires returning to the gate, there will be a delay. Again, if the airline has issues where an aircraft is withdrawn for maintenance, it will affect its operation except it reduces its routes.”
According to a report by General Sales and Solution, an aviation consultancy firm, Nigeria loses over $52.7m annually to flight disruptions, with a monthly loss estimated at $4.3m.
The report also highlights that airlines experience a revenue setback ranging from approximately N12m to N14m for each lost rotation, with airlines losing huge revenue anytime there is a flight delay that lasts over an hour
The Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Obiora Okonkwo, said in November that the majority of flight delays and cancellations were caused by harsh weather conditions and the lack of infrastructure.
He noted, “There are about over 90 reasons that can lead to delays; out of these over 90 reasons, probably only about five of them could be attributed to the operators.
“And the only reason there could be is if you have an Aircraft On Ground; AOG is that if you have an indication of any fault in the aircraft, for safety reasons, you must have to clear this before you take off. It might not be that there is a problem, but this is a business nobody wants to take a chance on because of life that is involved.”
