Airline Operators condemn attacks on staff, destruction of property over flight delays
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has condemned the recent attacks on Arik Air staff and destruction of property by some passengers over flight delays.
This is just as the AON says, it will no longer sit back and watch these violent attacks go on unrestrained.
The operators say, violent attacks on airline staff, occasioning physical harm, is not a civilized and matured way for passengers to register their disappointments over flight delays or cancellations.
“We feel the pain and frustration of travelers over delayed or cancelled flights due to the disruptions such bring to their plans, and make good to remind the travelling public that no airline operator deliberately delays or cancels flights because the aircraft is meant to be in the air and not on ground”.
According to a statement issued by the body, the best way to register their grievances is to either follow steps as spelt out by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in its manuals or pursue their rights through the Consumer Protection Council.
“Passengers ought also to be informed that airline staff have rights and can use available legal means to enforce those rights and seek redress”.
They attributed the violent attacks and destruction of property at airports to lack of adequate security at the airports and therefore use call on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), to improve security across the airports especially, as it relates to security of airline staff and property.
“However, we believe that the trend of violent attacks on airline staff and facilities have to stop. There have been instances where airline staff have been physically injured by passengers. Airline property running into millions of naira have also been destroyed by passengers”.
“Those airline staff and facilities are not cause of flight delays. They are also human beings, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters etc., working to earn a living and put food on the table for their families”.
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