Out of the 10,804 flights operated in September and October 2024 by Nigerian airlines, no fewer than 5,415, representing 48 per cent of total flights, were either delayed or cancelled.
This is as the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has threatened to impose sanctions in compliance with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) 2022 (Consumer Protection) Regulations 2023 The Acting Director-General of Civil Aviation (ADGCA), Capt. Chris Najomo, stated these during a meeting with indigenous airline operators at its office at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.
According to the statistics revealed by Najomo, about 5,225 of the flights were delayed, while another 190 were cancelled. For instance, in September, 5,291 domestic flights were operated by the airlines, with 2,434 delays and 79 cancellations.
In October, 5,513 flights were operated with 2,791 delays and 111 cancellations among the domestic operators. He, however, said that various issues lead to flight delays and cancellations among airlines globally but attributed most delays and cancellations among the nation’s carriers to poor management and planning.
. Some causes of flight delays and cancellations are operational, technical, V.I.P. movements or weather-related issues like harmattan. He also acknowledged the challenges faced by airlines, including infrastructural limitations and operational constraints, but declared that these challenges should not come at the expense of the passengers.
Najomo lamented that flight delays and cancellations have imposed huge discomforts on passengers, businesses, the credibility of the aviation industry and national development as a whole.
Najomo insisted that it behooves the airlines to ensure that every disruption is handled well and with the utmost professionalism and respect for passengers’ rights.
He insisted that the NCARs on Consumer Protection were not optional but mandatory obligations. He restated that the regulations ensured that passengers were promptly informed of schedule changes, delays or cancellations, accommodation, refreshments, alternative travel arrangements and other compensations, depending on the length of the delays.
“Today, I wish to address a matter of increasing concern to our industry. Flight disruptions, delays and significant changes to schedules and cancellations in Nigeria have far-reaching implications for passengers, businesses, the credibility of the aviation industry and National development as a whole.
