The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has taken decisive steps to address the incessant crises caused by airlines delaying flights with a decision to sanction such airlines and prosecute passengers who exhibit unruly behaviours in mobile courts
These decisions were part of the fallout from a Stakeholder Meeting on flight disruptions held in Lagos on Friday December 27, 2024
The meeting which was convened at the instance of the Director General of NCAA, Captain Chris Najomo also focused on addressing the widespread flight disruptions caused by the harmattan season and other operational challenges.
According to a communique issued by Michael Achimugu, the NCAA's Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, airport operational hours will now be extended to 10PM for sunset airports with facilities and adequate lighting
Aviation Security officials were advised after the meeting to address passenger unrest professionally and promptly
According to the communique,the authority resolved that "Sensitization campaigns on unruly passenger behavior will be jointly conducted by NCAA and FAAN, with a public statement to be issued.
Mobile courts will be operational to address incidents involving unruly passengers.
AVSEC officials are to deploy promptly during passenger agitations at the airports and de-escalate aggression professionally"
The authority also frowned at unauthorized access to tarmacs promising stricter security measures to be enforced while directing airlines to optimize/ trim their flight schedules to a manageable size and maintain standby aircraft to manage Aircraft on Ground (AOG) situations with adequate reliance on forecasts from NIMET for better flight scheduling
The meeting addressed other issues like environmental and safety concerns; collaboration among airlines; public relations and media perceptions and other issues
Environmental and Safety Concerns
•Efforts are underway with local leaders to address waste management and other environmental issues near airports, to help reduce bird strike risks.
Collaboration and Communication Among Airlines
Airlines are encouraged to collaborate on luggage and passenger handling, (re-protection) following the example of Ibom Air’s partnerships. Passengers should be informed formally when luggage is removed due to space or weight limitations.
Public Relations and Media Perception
Airlines, particularly Air Peace, expressed concerns over negative media narratives and called for investigations into defamatory reporting.
Passengers must be educated on weather-related disruptions and their implications on flight schedules.
Compliance with Nig. CARs 2023 Part 19
Airlines must during disruptions mandatorily provide information, CARE, refreshments, rerouting options and hotel accommodation as applicable and process all passenger refunds for tickets as stipulated by Nig. CARs 2023 Part 19 (immediately for cash purchase and within two weeks for online purchases), as mandated by the DGCA.delayed/loss/missing/ pilfered luggage complaints must be addressed speedily with appropriate compensation offered.