Keyamo Orders NCAA To Shame Airlines Over Breach Of Aviation Rules
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to publicly shame airlines that violate aviation regulations.
Mike Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NCAA, disclosed this in a statement on Monday via his X handle.
He explained that airlines that keep passengers stranded at terminals until midnight before cancelling flights owe them hotel accommodation in line with the law.
“The regulations stipulate that passengers stranded between the hours of 2200 and 0400 be given accommodation,” Achimugu said.
He lamented the behaviour of airline staff who abandon passengers during disruptions, leaving NCAA officials to deal with angry travellers.
“The situation where airline staff intentionally disappear, leaving NCAA Consumer Protection Officers to handle justifiably irate and frustrated passengers will no longer be tolerated.
“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?”
Achimugu added that NCAA officials cannot continue to face avoidable risks while discharging their duties to protect passengers’ rights.
He said airlines that commit sanctionable infractions would face strict punishment.
“For sanctionable infractions, the authority will apply ‘the fullest measures possible’ and will not abandon the letters of its regulations.
“The federal government has instructed that airlines be named and shamed by the NCAA. While we have done our best to advise per solutions to flight disruptions and why not 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.”
On January 31, 2024, Keyamo had announced that the ministry would begin publishing records of delayed or cancelled flights by domestic airlines.
He, however, stated that suspending operations was not an option as sanctions because the matter was delicate and could discourage potential investors.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
