The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and other aviation industry authorities have agreed to extend operational hours at sunset airports to 10 pm.
Sunset airports, which currently operate between 7 am and 7 pm due to a lack of night-flying facilities, will benefit from this extension as part of efforts to address flight disruptions, particularly at airports without 24-hour operations.
In a communique issued after the meeting, NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, confirmed the decision.
This development aims to reduce the number of cancellations at airports lacking 24-hour operations, which often occur when delays at destination airports affect schedules.
The meeting, held at the NCAA Annex in Lagos, was attended by key stakeholders, including the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, representatives from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), led by Vice President Mr. Allen Onyema, also CEO of Air Peace.
The discussions focused on addressing flight disruptions, especially those caused by the harmattan season and other operational challenges. The collaboration aims to implement lasting solutions through effective policy changes. According to the Acting Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Chris Najomo, of the 5,291 flights operated in September 2024, 2,434 were delayed, and 79 were cancelled.
He added that out of 5,513 flights operated in October 2024, 2791 were delayed while 111 flights were cancelled.
Airlines were advised to optimise or trim their flight schedules to a manageable size and maintain standby aircraft to manage Aircraft on Ground (AOG) situations.
“It was also agreed that weather forecasts from NIMET should be utilised for better flight scheduling.”
The meeting further condemned the rising incidents of unruly behaviours by passengers who sometimes beat up airline staff over flight delays or cancellations.
It was also agreed that sensitisation campaigns on unruly passenger behaviour will be jointly conducted by NCAA and FAAN, with a public statement to be issued.
The communique added, “AVSEC officials are to deploy promptly during passenger agitations at the airports and de-escalate aggression professionally.
“Efforts are underway with local leaders to address waste management and other environmental issues near airports, to help reduce bird strike risks.
“Unauthorised access to tarmacs will not be tolerated, and stricter security measures will be enforced.”
Also, the meeting encouraged airlines 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,” it added.
Similarly, airlines expressed concerns over negative media narratives and called for investigations into defamatory reporting.
The resolution added, “Passengers must be educated on weather-related disruptions and their implications on flight schedules.”
“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 purchases 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,” the communique added.
Meanwhile, the NCAA has clarified that the recent sanctions imposed on five airlines were strictly on consumer protection and not due to safety concerns.
Five airlines were recently sanctioned by the apex aviation regulatory authority over delays in the payment of refunds to passengers within the stipulated time frame in Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
Achimugu, however, clarified that contrary to reports making the rounds in some sections of the media, the sanctions initiated against the five airlines were for consumer protection-related infractions and not for safety concerns.
The five airlines include Royal Air Maroc, Ethiopian Airways, Air Peace, Arik Air and Aero Contractors.
One other major decision reached at the meeting was the establishment of mobile courts to address incidents involving unruly passengers.
cement on Instagram, where he raised alarm over the hacking of the organization’s account, claiming that ₦180 million had gone missing.
However, his claims were met with skepticism, as many questioned the credibility of his statements.
Sharing an update on Instagram on Sunday, Verydarkman expressed gratitude for the recovery progress and outlined the next steps in the ongoing investigation.
“Thanks to the people who called to check up on me. I also want to thank God for the process so far: we have been able to recover N78m, even though the suspect pointed out that the person he did with has run to Ghana, so hopefully, we would be going to Ghana very soon,” he said.