The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said it had received a directive from the Federal Government to start naming and shaming airlines violating aviation rules, particularly those fond of cancelling and delaying flights.
NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said in a statement on Monday, September 8.
He explained that if an airline keeps passengers at the terminal till 12 midnight before cancelling a flight, the airline owes the passengers hotel accommodation.
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He noted that aviation regulations stipulate that passengers stranded between the hours of 10.00pm and 4.00am should be given accommodation.
“The federal government has instructed that airlines be named and shamed by the NCAA. While we have done our best to advise on solutions to flight disruptions and why nearly all cases are the fault of the airlines, the NCAA expects that operators must comply with the regulations in the event of a disruption.
“In compliance with the directives from the federal government and the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the naming and shaming will commence,” Achimugu said.
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He warned that in a situation where airline staff intentionally disappear, leaving NCAA consumer protection officers to handle justifiably irate and frustrated passengers will no longer be tolerated.
He stressed, “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?”
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According to Achimugu, airline staff cannot expose NCAA officials to avoidable risk while supporting their business and protecting their rights.
“For infractions that are sanctionable, the Authority will apply the fullest measures possible. We will not abandon the letters of our regulations,” the NCAA spokesman added.
Pinnacle Daily reported incidents of unruly behaviour between passengers and airline staff.
On August 5, a renowned Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, disrupted a ValueJet flight at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja after disobeying boarding rules and even attempted to stop the plane from taxiing.
A similar incident occurred five days later when a passenger, Comfort Emmanson, clashed with Ibom Air hostesses after allegedly refusing to switch off her phone.
Alex is a business journalist cum data enthusiast with the Pinnacle Daily. He can be reached via ealex@thepinnacleng.com, @ehime_alex on X
