By Nnasom David
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has advised airlines to blacklist unruly passengers to serve as deterrent to others.
The Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA, Mr. Michael Achimugu, gave the charge during a stakeholders meeting with domestic airlines in Abuja yesterday.
The purpose of the engagement was to speak to regulatory issues around unruly passenger behaviour and passenger handling protocols; unresolved refund/compensation issues; introduction of RFID bag tags and flight monitoring technology; enforcement of phone switch-off instruction and protection for cabin crew and improved travel experience for passengers.
Airlines present at the meeting included Arik, Ibom, Aero, United Nigeria, Green Africa, Max Air, Rano Air, ValueJet, Air Peace and Overland.
Achimugu wondered why airlines complained about unruly passengers but hesitate to blacklist them to let others know it was business as usual.
He reiterated that all airlines’ staff must be treated with dignity, and respect at all times regardless of the situation.
Achimugu, who advised all aggrieved passengers to always escalate issues of flight disruptions and other infractions to the NCAA for regulatory redress, rather than resort to assault on airlines staff, said:
“Passengers are obsessed with rights but not responsibilities.
‘’We will continue to educate to make sure this situation changes. We are also insisting that airlines retrain their cabin and flight crews, but we must also protect their rights.
‘’The airlines staff must be treated with dignity and respect. Paying for a service doesn’t give you the right to assault or be unruly.
“We are willing to support the airlines, but they must also do their duties to the customers who, by the pay high airfares they pay, are deserving of world class service.’’
Also speaking at the event, Mrs. Ifueko Adbulmalik, the SSA to NCAA director-general, said it was unacceptable that airlines were rescheduling flights without adequate information, care or re-protection for airlines.
She also noted that refunds had been an issue to airlines, which must be improved upon.
“In the last couple of months, there has been escalation in complaints on refunds. Refunds should be made for flight cancellations as at when due” she said, adding that first need on short landed baggage must also be complied with as stipulated in the regulation.
Representatives of the airiness who spoke at the meeting, raised concern around constant abuse of check-in staff of airlines and demanded protection for them.
They also raised concerns over broken infrastructure at the airports operated by FAAN and demanded that these infrastructure be fixed to aid passenger processing.
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