Nigerian Airlines Mandated To Provide Hotel Accommodation For Passengers During Flight Cancellations, Delay
Nigerian Airlines Mandated To Provide Hotel Accommodation For Passengers During Flight Cancellations, Delay
According to Achimugu, the Nigerian government has instructed the NCAA to publicly name and shame airlines that fail to comply with aviation regulations.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that airlines are required to provide hotel accommodations for passengers stranded between 10pm and 4am due to flight cancellations or delays.
The NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, stated that the authority would no longer tolerate situations where airline staff intentionally disappear, leaving NCAA officials to handle frustrated passengers.
According to Achimugu, the Nigerian government has instructed the NCAA to publicly name and shame airlines that fail to comply with aviation regulations.
“If an airline has kept passengers at the terminal up to 00 hours before cancelling a flight, they owe their passengers hotel accommodation,” he said.
Achimugu emphasised that the NCAA would apply the fullest measures possible for sanctionable infractions and warned airlines that they must comply with regulations to avoid penalties.
“The situation where airline staff intentionally disappear, leaving NCAA Consumer Protection Officers to handle justifiably irate and frustrated passengers will no longer be tolerated,” he added.
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 stated that for sanctionable infractions, the authority would henceforth apply the fullest measures possible.
“You cannot expose NCAA officials to avoidable risk when all they do is support your business and protect your rights.”
“For sanctionable infractions, the Authority will apply the fullest measures possible. We will not abandon the letters of our regulations.
“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 Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the naming and shaming will commence,” he stated.
The NCAA’s directive is aimed at improving airline customer service and holding airlines accountable for their actions.
The authority expects airlines to prioritise passenger welfare and adhere to regulations to avoid sanctions.
