Ahead of the yuletide, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has assured that flight operations will not be disrupted during the Yuletide period, promising that there would be seamless air operation throughout the season and beyond.
The assurance was made during a Road Show/Enlightenment Campaign to sensitise air customers on the appropriate process of laying complaints on issues of disruption, held at the Port Harcourt International Airport, yesterday, by Consumer Protection Department of NCAA.
NCAA also hinted that following the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo’s signing of the Cape Town Convention Practice Direction and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, DDCA, that 10 more aircraft have been approved to come into the country to increase the capacity of fleets for air operations in the country.
The Director Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, NCAA, Michael Achimugu, who led the team in the road show yesterday, said the organisation is keen on ensuring that air operations are not disrupted during the 2024 festive season and onward.
He noted that many travelers do not know that when their rights are violated or plans disrupted that they ought to report to NCAA, stating that the sensitisation was to empower air passengers to know their rights and responsibilities.
He said: “We are now in the high travel season in the aviation sector and as you know there has been a lot of flight disruptions over the year and there has been a lot of complains as regards to that.
“Our duty at the NCAA is to sensitive our passengers, because most of the times when complains come about these disruptions it comes from the place of poor knowledge about their rights and responsibilities as air passengers.
“Our duty in the air consumer Protection Department of the NCAA is to protect both the passenger and the airlines as businesses. They are all our stakeholders. We cannot blame passengers for what they do not know. So we are creating mass awareness. It will continue throughout next year. A lot of persons do not know that if they have problem in air travel that NCAA is the place to report”.
Achimugu stressed that there would not be disruption this period, adding that more fleets are coming into the country to increase the capacity of air operations in the country.
He said: “There will not be disruptions this festive season, because of the Hon. Minister’s signing of the Cape Town Convention Practice Direction and my Directorate General of Civil Aviation, DDCA, Capt. Chris Najomo, more aircraft are coming into the country.
“Recently, there are 10 new aircraft in Nigeria, spread across airlines, Ibom Air, Air Peace, United Nigeria. These has ramped up the fleets in Nigeria, because we have always had capacity problem. But now, we have more planes. The disruptions are going to reduce.
“In NCAA we are recording in the history of Nigeria the issue of Case resolution. Nigeria is one of the few countries the whole world where airlines are made to pay 100% refund without charges.”
THISDAY observed that NCAA with its partners also organised a town hall meeting, in Port Harcourt, where stakeholders were sensitised on the operation at the Airport.
The theme of the meeting was “Repositioning the Nigerian Aviation Industry for Operational Efficiency, Service Excellence and Economic Viability: A Renewed and Inclusive Regulatory Dialogue “.
Speakers at the town hall meeting held at La Kings Event Centre, Port Harcourt, include, a filmmaker and actress, Hilda Dokubu, legal practitioner, First Baba Isa, Head, Reportorial, DAAR Communication Ltd, Utibe Umoren, Nigeria Immigration Services, others.
