Airlines blame flight delays, cancelation on lack of airport infrastructure
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Airlines have blamed flight delays and cancellations and other sundry hassles experienced by fliers on infrastructure deficiencies at Nigerian airports despite heavy taxes and levies paid by operators and travellers to the authorities.
These charges are paid to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the industry regulator; and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which manages commercial airports and provides services to passengers and airlines.
Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) Abdulmunaf Sarina said most flight problems are outside the control of carriers which grapple with inadequate facilities at airports.
“80 per cent of the causes of delays and cancellations are due to factors that are not under the control of airlines.
“Airlines operating in Nigeria are forced to operate in an environment that is wrought with infrastructure deficiencies that are highly disruptive to normal schedule reliability and on-time performance,” Sarina explained in a statement.
“Some of the more prevalent causes of delays and cancellations include unavailability and rising cost of Jet A1 (which today costs above N585 per litre in Lagos, N607 in Abuja and Port Harcourt, and N685 in Kano).
There are also “inadequate parking space for aircraft on the apron sometimes leading to ground accidents, inadequate screening and exit points at departure, inefficient passenger access and facilitation, natural and unforeseen circumstances such as weather and catastrophic failures (e.g. bird strikes & component failures), and restrictions caused by sunset airports among others.”
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Attacks on airline staff
AON condemned the recent attacks by passengers on staff of Max Air due to flight delay.
“The unfortunate development further heightens our deepest concern and worry over the increasingly deplorable state of security and the rising threat to the lives of airline staff and their properties at Nigerian airports.
“The airport vicinity is a sensitive and sacrosanct environment where people are not allowed to behave in a callous and uncontrollable manner,” Sarina stressed, as reported by Nairametrics.
“A situation where passengers are allowed to have access into sensitive restricted areas of the airport and attack airline staff or prevent a plane from departing to other destinations because a particular flight is delayed or cancelled puts the country in a bad light in the international community.
“Issues of delay or cancellation can be addressed in a civil manner without resorting to violence. The unruly passengers that went after Max Air and destroyed the computer reservation systems further exacerbated the problem for other passengers going to other destinations. Such acts are completely unacceptable.
“AON understands the frustrations whenever a flight is delayed or cancelled, and we apologise to passengers on behalf of airlines for such delays or cancellations. It is however instructive to note that delays happen worldwide and there are conditions that cause them.”
Passengers’ rights and obligations
Passengers do not just have rights, they also have obligations and responsibilities in Part 19 of Nig. CARs 2012, Vol. II.
NCAA’s Notice on Passenger Obligations To Airlines/Service Providers (Item 6) requires passengers to “Be of good behaviour at all stages of their journey” as “airlines and agencies have a zero policy for unruly behaviour.”
It also says
- All airport and airline staff deserve to be treated with respect and courtesy. An airline reserves the right to deny boarding/disembarking a passenger for unruly behaviour.
- Passengers are prohibited from interfering with the flight crew and aircraft attendants.
- Offensive, disorderly conduct such as physical assault, verbal abuse or sexual harassment of any airline or service provider staff will attract severe punishment in addition to fines or jail terms.
Part 17.92.1 says
- “Any passenger who becomes unruly at the airport terminal or onboard an aircraft commits an offence.”
Part 17.92.2(c)(d)(e)(f) defines “unruly” as
- Fighting or other disorderly conduct on board an aircraft or at the terminal building
- Any conduct/act constituting a nuisance to other passengers
- Disobedience of lawful instructions issued by the aircraft commander, flight crew, cabin attendants, check-in staff and/or security screening staff
- Any conduct that endangers or is likely to endanger the safety of flight operations
Part 17.92.3 says
- Where any passenger becomes unruly on board an aircraft or at the terminal building, the aircraft commander or airport authority shall take necessary measures including restraint where necessary, to
- Protect the safety of the aircraft, terminal building or of persons or property therein, or
- Maintain good order and discipline on board or at the terminal building and
- Enable him deliver such a person to competent authorities.
