The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has issued a seven-day deadline to domestic airlines to incorporate a compulsory special assistance option into their ticket booking systems, aimed at enhancing accessibility for passengers with disabilities and those with limited mobility.
The directive was announced in a statement released on Friday by the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu.
Achimugu explained that airlines are now required to allow passengers to request assistance during the booking process across all sales channels, including online and phone-based reservations.
The statement partly read, “The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has reiterated its directive to all domestic airlines operating in Nigeria to ensure full compliance with provisions for Persons with Reduced Mobility and passengers with disabilities by incorporating a mandatory Special Needs/Assistance request feature on their ticket reservation systems.”
The NCAA recalled that a similar directive was issued to airlines in April 2022, mandating operators to “conspicuously place a designated field, box or column on their booking platforms” to allow passengers to give advance notice of special needs before purchasing tickets.
According to the regulator, the requirement is further reinforced by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023, Part 19.12.3.1, which places obligations on airlines, travel agents and tour operators to make adequate provisions for passengers who may require assistance during airport and in-flight operations.
The regulations mandate airlines to include a clearly identifiable section on ticket portals through which persons with disabilities or their assistants may request special needs assistance while booking or purchasing flight tickets.
Operators are also required to actively enquire whether any passenger within a booking party may require assistance.
“In view of the foregoing, the NCAA has directed all affected airlines to conspicuously integrate a mandatory special needs assistance request option into their ticket reservation systems, ensuring that passengers are able to request such assistance before completing the ticket purchase process,” the authority said.
The aviation regulator, however, warned that failure to comply with the directive within the seven-day window would attract regulatory enforcement in line with applicable aviation regulations.
