Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on Tuesday warned airlines against providing misleading information to passengers during flight delays, particularly in cases linked to fuel supply challenges.
The NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said airlines must be transparent about the true causes of delays to allow passengers make informed decisions.
“Airlines should, please, ensure to let passengers know the true reasons for lengthy delays, especially when it is a fuelling issue,” he wrote on his official X page.
Mr Achimugu criticised situations where passengers are kept waiting for hours with repeated assurances of imminent departure, only for flights to be delayed further or cancelled.
“Do not keep people waiting in false hopes from morning until late night, only to either cancel or fly at an hour where safety at destination city is not guaranteed,” he added.
He noted that the impact of such delays cuts across different categories of travellers, including government officials, students, business people and individuals with time-sensitive commitments such as visa interviews.
The Director-General of Civil Aviation, Chris Najomo, also expressed concern over the development and directed closer monitoring of airline operations, Mr Achimugu said.
While acknowledging that operational challenges may not always be the fault of airlines, he stressed that operators have a responsibility to reduce inconvenience to passengers.
“The challenges may not be the fault of the airlines sometimes, but it is the responsibility of the operator to mitigate the inconvenience of paying passengers,” he said, urging airlines to provide timely updates so travellers can consider alternative arrangements.
He also cautioned against providing inaccurate explanations for delays.
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“Do not say ‘bird strike’ if the problem is fuel. Do not say ‘we will take off in 30 minutes’ if you are not sure of fuelling,” he said.
Mr Achimugu added that airlines must also meet their obligations to passengers when delays extend into late hours.
“If you keep passengers up to 10 p.m., provide them HOTAC,” he said, referring to hotel accommodation for affected travellers.
The NCAA warning comes amid ongoing concerns over flight disruptions in Nigeria’s aviation sector, with fuel supply issues and operational constraints continuing to affect airline schedules.
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