July 12, 2021

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said that it would in the coming weeks, commence public sensitisation to further enlighten air travelers on steps to take in case of flight delays or cancellations by airlines.

Director-General of NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu, said this in an interview with aviation journalists in Lagos at the weekend.

According to him, this would enable the agency respond appropriately in cases where their rights are trampled upon by airlines.

Channels Television reports that Capt. Nuhu also said that the law on 100 per cent refund on air tickets in cases of a three-hour delay is not novel to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulation (NCAR), stressing that it was gazetted by the Federal Government and has been in existence since 2015.

Before the 2015 amendment to the extant regulations, airlines were supposed to pay 100 per cent compensation to passengers after two hours of delay, but the regulatory agency amended it to three hours in order to accommodate the complaints of the indigenous airlines and in a bid to ensure fair play.

He, however, clarified that in the case of natural phenomenon, the airlines would not be sanctioned by the agency, describing it as a force majeure.

Speaking further, Capt. Nuhu noted that airlines were given Air Operators’ Certificates (AOCs) based on the fact that they would comply with civil aviation regulations.

He also maintained that once any of the carriers is found wanting, the agency would not hesitate to sanction such an airline accordingly.