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The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has read the riot act to domestic airline operators, expressing displeasure at the alarming reports of incessant delays, flight disruptions, and schedule changes without adequate notice to passengers.
Acting director general of the NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo stated that the current record of flight disruptions, poor customer experience and poor handling of passengers is unacceptable and must be improved upon.
Najomo, in a statement by NCAA spokesperson, Michael Achimugu, said “it is no longer business as usual as errant airlines will be sanctioned appropriately without fear or favour” noting that NCAA has stepped up its surveillance to monitor compliance with a view to fish out violators. He stated that airlines must rejig their flight schedule to match their number of serviceable aircraft and that airlines are all aware of the airports which have sunset operations.
According to him, “airlines must consider scheduling flights into sunset airports early in the day so as to minimise cancellations as a result of airport closure at sunset.” Capt. Najomo stressed that the NCAA will ensure that airlines fulfil their obligations to passengers or face sanctions.
“Airlines must handle persons with reduced mobility properly, with dignity and without discrimination as airlines are mandated to provide facilities for the movement of persons with reduced mobility and by virtue of the provisions of Nigeria Civil aviation regulations part 19, airlines are required to provide on their ticket portal a mandatory field for special needs assistance and require their agents to actively ask customers during ticket purchase if they will require assistance” he reiterated.
Najomo reiterated the need for airlines to improve their services as the minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo is determined to enforce his five-point agenda as mandated by the president.
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