The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has called for a meeting with all domestic airlines in Abuja to address issues surrounding flight disruptions.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by NCAA’s Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, through a statement shared on his X handle.
According to him, the meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at the NCAA headquarters.
“The NCAA has invited all domestic airlines to a meeting in Abuja slated for tomorrow, Wednesday,” Achimugu wrote.
He added that discussions will cover matters such as “Unruly passenger behaviour and passenger handling protocols; Unresolved refund/compensation issues; Introduction of RFID bag tags and flight monitoring technology; Enforcement of phone switch-off instruction and protection for cabin crew, as well as Improved travel experience for passengers.”
This development comes less than a day after Achimugu stressed that the regulatory body has the mandate of the Federal Government “to begin naming and shaming” airlines that delay or cancel flights, particularly at late hours, without providing the required welfare for stranded passengers as outlined in Part 19 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations.
He noted in another post on X that such flight cancellations without passenger care put NCAA’s consumer protection officers at risk.
Achimugu further explained that airlines must provide hotel accommodation for passengers if they are left stranded at the terminal until 00\:hrs before a flight is cancelled.
“The regulations stipulate that passengers stranded between the hours of 2200 and 0400 be given accommodation.
“The situation where airline staff intentionally disappear, leaving NCAA Consumer Protection Officers to handle justifiably irate and frustrated passengers, will no longer be tolerated.
“While one understands the challenges that operators face in our peculiar operating environment, whoever willfully ventures into a business and wants to remain in it must do it well.
“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?”