The Senate on Wednesday summoned Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace; Capt. Chris Najomo, Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority; airline operators; and other relevant stakeholders over the incessant flight delays and cancellations by airlines.
Adopting a motion to that effect sponsored by Senator AbdulFatai Buhari (APC Oyo North) during plenary, the Senate specifically instructed its Committee on Aviation to investigate the factors surrounding the ongoing aircraft delays and cancellations in order to identify long-term solutions to the situation.
It was gathered on Wednesday that about 2,000 air passengers lost 19,274 pieces of luggage between January and June this year, according to data from the Federal.
According to the report, data obtained from the half-year report of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, an agency of the Federal Government that regulates civil aviation, further indicated that 19,250 passengers were delayed for long hours during the review period.
Senator Buhari, while proposing the motion at the floor of the Senate, stated that the problem, which he noted has been on the rise in recent years, is all over the media.
“This development is worrisome as air travel is one of the most reliable, dependable, and quicker means of transportation, often undertaken for business/official purposes and to keep other scheduled appointments, which are usually time-bound,” he said.
Therefore, he warned that “unwarranted flight delays and cancellations will be counterproductive to the socio-economic growth and development of this country.”
The lawmaker stated that as part of interventionist measures to check unethical and unwholesome practices of practitioners in the aviation sector, the NCAA is statutory empowered through the enactment of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Act to, among other things, provide oversight and guidelines aimed at ensuring that airlines in Nigeria operate in accordance with international standards and that airline customers receive value for the services paid for.
He pointed out that “the quest for economic diversification and foreign direct investment, which are parts of the current administration’s policy thrust, will remain an illusion if the country’s aviation industry falls short of the acceptable best practices across the globe.”
“Part 19 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority Regulations of 2023 makes provisions for consumer protection in the civil aviation industry in Nigeria.”
Buhari added, “However, enforcement has been an issue, as most Nigerians are not even aware that they are entitled to compensation for time lost due to unnecessary delay, hence the need for the NCAA to activate this aspect of its regulation so that airline operators will sit up and be alive to their responsibilities.”
