The Senate has resolved to summon the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo and other aviation stakeholders over persistent slight disruptions.
The Red Chamber also called on the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Airline operators of Nigeria and other relevant stakeholders to come up with solutions on how to enhance efficiency of air travel in Nigeria.
The resolution came on the heels of a motion by Buhari Abdulfatai (APC, Oyo North), who emphasized various reports in the print, electronic, and social media about the increasing frequency of flight delays and cancellations.
He expressed worry over such disruptions, particularly as air travel is crucial for business, official purposes, and time-sensitive appointments.
He emphasised that the delays and cancellations were detrimental to the socio-economic growth of the country, warning that efforts to diversify the economy and attract foreign direct investment would be undermined if Nigeria’s aviation industry fails to meet international best practices.
He lamented that despite the existence of Part 19 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority Regulations of 2023 providing consumer protection in the aviation sector, enforcement remains a challenge.
Buhari added that Nigerians are not aware that they are entitled to be compensated for time lost due to unnecessary delays. He called on the NCAA to enforce this regulation to ensure that airline operators fullfil their responsibilities.
Supporting the motion, Minority Leader, Abba Moro, gave an account of how he met some lawmakers who passed the night at the airport due to sudden rescheduled flights.
He insisted on compensation for the affected persons. “Nigerian airports are the only airports where flights are delayed without prior announcement, apology or compensation. It is time we take a very strong stand on these issues, it shows that our problem is with our regulatory agencies.”
He urged the Senate to ensure that the Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance ensures the implementation of its resolutions.
Aminu Abbas bemoaned the situation where travellers are made to pay extra whenever they arrive late to the airport, whereas the operators don’t pay anything as compensation whenever they cancel or delay passenger’s flights.
Senator Victor Umeh enjoined his colleagues not to apportion all the blames on the airline operators.
He urged the Senate to consider the state of airport infrastructure, harsh business environment and unfavourable weather conditions, which he attributed to the problems plaguing Nigeria’s air transport sector.
Umeh’s submission also gained the support of Rivers South East lawmaker, Barinada Mpigi, who said airlines don’t intentionally disrupt flight schedules but that disruptions are largely due to the factors highlighted by Umeh.
“Though I support the motion, we also need to look at the economic reasons. Most of these airlines are playing safe due to weather, while some airports don’t have the needed infrastructure,” Mpigi remarked.
In its resolution, the lawmakers held that necessary compensation for delayed flights is often ignored, violating international best practices.
They called for penalties for flight cancellations to hold airlines accountable.
The Senate presided by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, voted in favour of the motion and directed its Committee on Legislative Compliance to monitor the implementation of all resolutions to ensure that proper action is taken.
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