THE Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has taken enforcement action against five airlines; two international and three domestic operators for breaches of Part 19 of the NCAA regulations.
Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection to the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, stated this in a press release in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to the release, the airlines were sanctioned for nonpayment of refunds within the stipulated time frame, non-responsiveness to the NCAA’s directives, missing luggage, manhandled luggage, short-landed baggage, and delayed and cancelled flights, among others.
He stated that while airlines were not always to blame for flight disruptions, NCAA regulations required them to take specific actions during such incidents and that non-compliance resulted in various sanctions.
Although Achimugu did not immediately disclose the names of the erring airlines, a report by Prompt News listed Ethiopian Airlines, Air Maroc, Air Peace, Aero and Arik Airlines as culprits.
The NCAA recently reiterated that it would impose sanctions on airlines that failed to issue refunds within the stipulated 14-day period for online ticket purchases or provide immediate cash refunds for tickets bought with cash.
The frequent disruptions this holiday season have led to a rise in passenger complaints about delays and cancellations.
Achimugu attributed most of the cancellations to factors beyond the airlines’ control.
“We all know that this is harmattan season, so there is poor visibility. Flights must get cancelled. This is force majeure, and the airlines do not owe passengers anything in those instances.
“The enforcement we are initiating today is on cases where the airline is deemed to have been at fault. More will come,” the director explained.
Achimugu also confirmed that the authority would summon the CEOs of all airlines this week for a meeting regarding flight disruptions and regulatory violations.
