We will implement passenger airfare refund upon delay –NCAA

 

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has expressed its support for the reimbursement of passengers’ airfares when delayed and when their flights get cancelled.

According to the NCAA, the regulation requiring airlines to refund 100 per cent on air tickets to passengers delayed for three hours is not unusual.

It noted that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulation was in support of the refund by airlines, having been in existence since 2015.

We earlier reported that the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, as saying at the weekly State House briefing that airlines were to reimburse air passengers full value of their tickets if delayed for two hours and beyond.

The Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu told some journalists in Lagos on Saturday that before the 2015 amendment to the existing regulations, airlines were supposed to give 100 per cent compensation to passengers after two hours’ delays.

This was later amended to three hours’ delay to give room to complaints of the local airlines and to ensure fairness for all.

He noted that passengers did not report to the regulatory agency whenever their rights were trampled upon.

However, to reduce such from occurring, the NCAA would embark on a campaign to sensitize the flying public on their rights, he said.

Nuhu said, “The minister was just referring to the NCAA in his statement. Before the amendment to the regulation, airlines were supposed to pay full compensation to air travellers the moment their flight is delayed for two hours, but during the review, the operators complained that the two hours were too short. Then, it was extended to three hours.

“We will implement the new law to the letter, but if the consumers don’t complain, how can we know? We need to educate the passengers about their rights.”

He added, “All airlines were given AOCs based on the fact that they will comply with the regulations. During our surveillance, if we find out that they don’t comply appropriately, we will sanction them.

“But, on the issue of force majeure, you can’t sanction them. It is an act of nature and even the law recognizes this.”

The NCAR 2015 Section 19.6.1.1 as amended indicated that for domestic flights, when an operating air carrier reasonably expects a flight to be delayed beyond its scheduled time of departure, it would provide the passengers with the reason(s) for the delay within 30 minutes after the scheduled departure time.

It states that after two hours, refreshments as specified in section 19.10.1 (i) and telephone calls, SMS, and e-mails as specified in section 19.10.2; while beyond three hours, reimbursement as specified in the section.