The Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Chris Najomo, has defended Nigerian airlines amid growing public criticism over flight disruptions, saying delays and cancellations are global aviation realities and not peculiar to local operators.
Speaking during an interview on the sidelines of the aviation industry stakeholders’ engagement on the NCAA digital transformation initiative in Lagos, Captain Najomo said the recent incident involving Air Peace in London was unfairly sensationalised, stressing that the airline acted responsibly by grounding the affected aircraft after a safety concern was discovered during a routine ramp inspection.
According to him, the aircraft had already landed safely and passengers disembarked normally before inspectors detected an issue with a bag component, prompting the airline to consult the aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, which advised against operating the return flight.
He noted that Air Peace immediately arranged hotel accommodation for passengers near the airport and deployed another aircraft to evacuate them.
The DGCA said no airline deliberately leaves passengers stranded, adding that similar disruptions happen regularly across international carriers including British Airways, Delta and Lufthansa.
He urged Nigerians to support indigenous airlines instead of amplifying negative narratives whenever operational challenges occur.
The NCAA boss explained that the authority’s Consumer Protection Directorate continues to intensify public enlightenment and passenger education while ensuring airlines are held accountable whenever they fail in their obligations.
He also linked current operational pressures facing airlines to rising global aviation costs, especially the impact of fuel price volatility driven by international conflicts.
Despite the economic challenges, he said local carriers have resisted fare increases and instead adopted cost-cutting measures to remain afloat.
Captain Najomo disclosed that the Federal Government is supporting operators through debt relief measures and engagement with fuel marketers aimed at stabilising aviation fuel prices.
He added that the recent signing of the Cape Town Convention framework is already boosting investor confidence and encouraging Nigerian airlines to acquire newer aircraft.
On the NCAA’s digital transformation programme, the DGCA announced that the new electronic licensing and certification platform is expected to go live by July 2 after internal testing using existing NCAA personnel licences.
He expressed confidence that the system would significantly improve efficiency, transparency and service delivery across the aviation sector.
Reporting By Nosa Aituamen