The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has pledged to address the rising cases of flight disruptions and improve consumer protection in the aviation industry.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA, Mr. Michael Achimugu, emphasized that passengers are the backbone of the industry and deserve better treatment.
He noted that despite the importance of passengers, they often bear the brunt of inefficiencies, bad policies, and poor services.
“The passengers are the reason, the airlines and the regulators exist, without them, we have no jobs. The complaints have been on the rise, on the increase. We are here today to address some these issues and see how we can mitigate the discomfort to passengers”.
While acknowledging the increasing complaints about flight disruptions, the image maker, promised to work with airlines and other stakeholders to mitigate the discomfort faced by passengers.
The NCAA has made ease of doing business a priority, and Achimugu expects airlines to reciprocate by improving their services to passengers.
He stressed that there is no justification for delayed refunds, which can take months to resolve, and urged airlines to prioritize prompt resolution of such issues.
The Director, PR&CP also cautioned passengers against misconceptions about their rights and entitlements, emphasizing that the NCAA serves all stakeholders, including airlines and passengers.
“I also do not want passengers to go away with the wrong impression that our duty is for them alone. There has been a lot of times when passengers report especially, on social media, it goes viral and they think erroneously that they are right and entitled to compensation because they do not either research or have knowledge of the regulations. We are also here to let passengers know these things, that the NCAA is supposed to be an imperial umpire and we serve at the pleasure of all stakeholders”.
He assured that the authority will work to improve consumer protection and ensure that airlines comply with regulations.
With the support of the Minister of Aviation and the Director-General of NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, Mr. Achimugu vowed to tackle the challenges in the industry and ensure that airlines operate with integrity and respect for passengers’ rights.
He assured NCAA’s commitment to creating a better experience for passengers and promoting a more efficient and customer-friendly aviation industry.
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