Chinedu Eze
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said compared to previous years, there was significant improvement in flight operations and in airlines-passenger relations in 2019.
The Director of Consumer Protection, NCAA, Adamu Abdullahi, attributed this to the full implementation of Civil Aviation Regulations, effective monitoring of airline activities and sensitisation of travelers, whom he said now channel their grievances to appropriate quarters.
Abduallhi, also said airlines do not need prompting anymore to carry out their obligations to passengers during flight delays and cancellation, as enshrined in the Civil Aviation Regulations.
In the first quarter of 2019 there were 30 international airlines and eight domestic airlines. International airlines operated 3, 872 flights, while domestic airlines operated 14, 735 flights.
During the period the number of flights cancelled by international airlines were 28, while local carriers cancelled 181.
International airlines made six air returns; local airlines recorded 16 air returns, while international airlines had six overbooking, but domestic carriers recorded 31, the NCAA disclosed in a report.
During the same period, international airlines recorded 7, 104 missing bags; local airlines 83.
International airlines airlifted 442, 893 inbound passengers, while local airlines airlifted 1, 177, 989 passengers. In the same vein, international airlines recorded 449, 142 outbound passengers, while local carriers recorded 1, 195, 192 passengers.
There were 13 complaints from international airlines and 47 from local airlines; eight of the former were resolved, while 40 of the later were resolved.
Also, in the second quarter of 2019, foreign airlines operated 30 flights, while domestic carriers operated nine flights; that is, additional airline joined the domestic market.
During the second quarter, foreign airlines airlifted 3, 768 passengers, while 15, 308 were airlifted by local carriers; international carriers recorded 1, 071 delays but local airlines recorded 8, 508 delays.
Similarly, during the period foreign airlines cancelled 27 flights, while local airlines cancelled 60 flights; the former had seven air returns, while the later had 21 air returns.
In the same vein, international airlines made four over bookings, while their local counterparts made four over bookings as well.
In the second quarter foreign carriers recorded four complaints, while local airlines recorded five; foreign airlines recorded 9, 187 delayed/missing luggage, while local airlines recorded 108 luggage.
“During the period also foreign airlines airlifted 502, 851 inbound passengers, while their local counterparts recorded 1, 307, 567.
“International airlines also recorded 543, 624 outbound passengers, while local carriers recorded, 1, 398, 225 outbound passengers.
“Foreign carriers had eight complaints; local carriers had nine. Four out of the former were resolved, while seven of the later were resolved,” he said.
“In the third quarter only 27 international airlines operated, while nine local airlines also operated.
“International airlines recorded 3, 865 flights; local airlines recorded 16, 884 flights. International airlines recorded 1, 072 delays; while the local carriers recorded 10, 154 delays,” he added.
The former had 16 cancelations and the later had 22 cancellations.
During the period also, international carriers had four overbookings and local airlines recorded 16 over bookings. Also there were 12, 368 delayed or missing bags by international airlines, while local airlines recorded 95.
In the third quarter there were 557, 779 in bound passengers for international airlines while, local airlines recorded 1, 507, 744 in bound passengers.
International airlines also recorded 584, 686 outbound passengers, while local airlines recorded 1, 517, 892 passengers.
International airlines recorded 26 complaints, 22 were resolved, while local airlines had 30 complaints and 19 were resolved.
The Director of Consumer Protection, NCAA, Abdullahi, said there were significant improvement in 2019, compared to 2018 and the precious years.
“In 2019, unlike other years, we don’t shout before airlines serve refreshments when there is flight delays. It is the same thing with refund. Once a flight is cancelled; unlike the past, the airlines will meet us and talk to us. That was not the case before. Complaints have come down drastically,” he said.
On overbooking, Abdullahi said all airlines purposely overbook because they would not want to leave any seat empty and that explains why there are usually standby passengers.
He also said that there are more outbound flights than in bound flights on international destinations because many people travel out and they don’t come back, adding that there are usually more outbound passengers in January and more inbound passengers in December.
