Flights delay, cancellations inevitable in aviation – NCAA CPD Director

The Director, Consumer Protection Directorate (CPD), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has declared that flight delays and cancellations are unavoidable in the global aviation industry.

He, however, said that despite this, the regular agency would ensure that the rights of the flying the public were not trampled upon by airlines and other organisations in the sector.

Abdullahi stated this over the weekend in an interview with our correspondent in his office at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.

According to Abdullahi, some of the delays were due to operational and safety reasons like weather, mechanical failure and Very Important Personality (VIP) movements, stressing that the agency would not sacrifice safety for passengers’ comfort.

Apart from safety and operational reasons, he declared that NCAA has had cause to sanction erring airlines for fulfilling their obligations to passengers, but said such sanctions were not for the public domain.

He said: “Delays and flight cancellations are inevitable in the aviation industry. They just happen. The regulations realise that. That is why we looked at it and we decided to ensure compensation to passengers. However, I will prefer to call it refreshments for the passengers, rather than compensation.

“If you delay a passenger for up to two hours, you have to give him some kinds of refreshments. You must have a way of compensating him until the flight is announced. There are many reasons for delays and cancellations. Most of them are safety based. When safety is involved, we don’t discuss comfort and we even encourage airlines to delay or cancel flights whenever they have technical issues or weather-related issues.

“So, when an airline can prove to us that it delayed a flight due to safety, then, they are off the hook. Then that won’t attract sanctions. We don’t announce it when we sanction airlines because sanctions are like de-marketing for the airlines. “They don’t like their sanctions being announced. We are not passenger service, rather consumer protection. Airlines, concessionaires and handling companies are part of consumer services.”

In a bid to promote safety in the sector, Abdullahi explained that NCAA encouraged non-punitive reporting system, which inspires airlines to report issues in their operations to the authority.

Besides, he explained that NCAA was working assiduously with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and state-owned airport operators to reduce infrastructural challenges in the system.

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Abdullahi emphasised that NCAA participate in a monthly meeting headed by airport managers in various geographical airports, adding that through this, challenges affecting smooth operations are discussed and resolved by all stakeholders.

He, however, pointed out that some improvements had been recorded in airport infrastructure in recent time with the opening of some new airports like Port Harcourt and Abuja for passenger use and lauded Sen. Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation for some positives in the sector.

“I will say there have been tremendous improvements in our airports in recent years. Look at the new terminals in Port Harcourt and Abuja. I am sure that we will not have issues in the next 20 to 25 years with these terminals,” he said.