The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has called all domestic airlines to an emergency meeting in Abuja following rising complaints about flight disruptions, poor refunds, and failure to provide comfort for stranded passengers.
The meeting, scheduled for Wednesday at NCAA headquarters, was announced by the agency’s Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, in a statement on Tuesday.
“The NCAA has invited all domestic airlines to a meeting in Abuja slated for tomorrow, Wednesday,” Achimugu said.
He explained that the agenda would cover issues such as unruly passenger behaviour, unresolved refunds and compensation, the introduction of RFID bag tags, flight monitoring technology, and enforcement of phone switch-off rules to protect cabin crew. The meeting will also focus on improving passengers’ overall travel experience.
The move comes barely a day after the NCAA warned that it would start publicly exposing airlines that cancel or delay flights, especially late at night, without making proper arrangements for passengers.
Achimugu stressed that airlines have a duty under Part 19 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations to provide hotel accommodation for passengers stranded between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. He criticised operators who abandon travellers and leave NCAA officers to face the anger of frustrated passengers.
“The situation where airline staff intentionally disappear, leaving NCAA Consumer Protection Officers to handle justifiably irate and frustrated passengers, will no longer be tolerated,” he said.
He added that airlines cannot continue to cut corners while claiming to be world-class. “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?” Achimugu stated.
The NCAA has repeatedly warned operators against unnecessary delays and cancellations and is now signalling tougher measures to hold airlines accountable to passengers.
