Aviation: Nigerian Legislators Worry Over Airlines’ Behaviour, Move To Protect Air Travellers
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives, worried by incessant flight delays and cancellations on Tuesday called on the Federal Ministry of Aviation to protect the rights of Nigerian air travellers.
The call followed the adoption of a motion on the floor of the house moved by Representative Ifeanyi Chudy Momah representing Ihiala Federal Constituency of Anambra during plenary.
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According to a series of tweets on the house twitter handle @HouseNGR, Chudy Momah said the aviation ministry should ensure the sector functions optimally, adding that it is one of the most important sectors with revenue stream for the country.
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On his part, Representative James Faleke called for an amendment to the motion to ensure travellers affected are compensated by the airplane by taking them to their destination.
Speaker of the house, Femi Gbajabiamila, who presided over the plenary said a passenger bill of rights should be brought to the floor of the house so that the rights of Nigeria passengers are protected.
Recall that for years, air travelers in Nigeria have had to tolerate poor service from both local and international airlines. Passengers have endured delayed, overbooked and cancelled flights and cases of missing and delayed luggage, without any protection from the law.
To improve the situation and provide adequate protection for air travellers, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) introduced the Passenger Bill of Rights. This regulation came into effect in August 2013 and the NCAA has since then commenced its implementation.
Through the bill, the federal government introduced a framework for compensating passengers whose rights are unnecessarily disregarded by airlines, especially domestic operators. It addresses areas of concern such as flight delays, cancelled flights, denied boarding and overbooking.
