VARYING COMPENSATIONS, according to airlines operations regulations, will be enforced and passengers compensated, for infringing on their rights by airlines operators in the country. Operators must refund full cost of travel tickets to passengers after two-hour delay; among other compensations.
Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, made this known, Thursday, at the weekly State House Briefing at the presidential Villa, Abuja. He read out some of the rights of aviation passengers, and charged them to demand their rights whenever they are being trampled on by the airlines.
“On domestic flights, delay beyond one hour, carrier should provide refreshment, and one telephone call, or one SMS, or one e-mail. They should send you an SMS or email or call you to say, ‘I am sorry, I am delaying for one hour’. Delay for two hours and beyond, the carrier shall reimburse passengers the full volume of their tickets.
“Delay between 10pm and 4am, carrier shall provide hotel accommodation, refreshment, meal, two free calls, SMS, email and transport to-and-fro airport,” The same rules apply to international flights. He said ministry of aviation has started sanctioning airlines who default on consumer right. And advise passengers not to be unruly at airports.
FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS AND NEEDLESS flight operations delay, have become regular occurrence in Nigeria’s aviation sector, and airline travellers have been on the receiving end. In some cases, passengers have had to wait hours outside their schedule departure time.
Nigeria’s airlines operators have continued to justify the delays and cancellations of domestic flights in the country. Reasons given include – non-availability and rising cost of aviation fuel [JetA1], inadequate parking space at the airports. Allen Onyema, Air Peace Chairman, stated this on Tuesday, before Senate Committee on Aviation, headed by Senator Smart Adeyemi.
He added that non-availability of forex for purchase of spare parts and maintenance of aircraft, sudden change of weather, delay due to official protocol for presidential movements, inefficient passenger access and facilitation, delay in clearance of spare parts from Customs department, inadequate screening and exit points at departure, as other causes of delays and cancellations of flights.
