The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has vowed to take powerful measures in opposition to airways that delay passengers’ baggage.
The regulatory company mentioned it’s going to impose fines of $170 and N10,000 on overseas and native airways, respectively for delayed passengers’ baggage as a primary measure to information in opposition to such an act.
In October in Abuja, the NCAA said that passengers may declare as much as $1,000 for lacking baggage on home flights in addition to $1,288 Particular Drawing Rights for worldwide flights.
Talking on Monday throughout a roadshow organised by NCAA on the Lagos airport to sensitise passengers who will probably be travelling through the yuletide, the Director of Public Affairs and Shopper Safety, Michael Achimugu, assured that the regulatory company would implement the sanctions in opposition to any erring airline to the latter.
Achimugu regretted that for a really very long time, a lot of the air travellers had been unaware of their rights, which made the airways proceed to violate them.
The NCAA publicist defined that with the roadshow, the travelling public can be extra conscious of their rights within the NCAA acts and the suitable quarters to complain to.
He mentioned: “For means too lengthy, Nigerians have been claiming to not know concerning the existence and the duties of the NCAA. Our responsibility, which is what we owe Nigerians, is to convey consciousness to the trade. The passengers have to grow to be extra conscious of their rights in order that airways is not going to proceed to cheat them.
“The little issues concerning the laws that the passengers have to know, as an example, should you arrive at an airport and your baggage didn’t arrive with you, most passengers have no idea that they’ve a proper to demand compensation from the airways.
“If it’s a home flight, you possibly can stroll to the airline’s counter to demand on your N10,000 for not bringing your bag with you. For worldwide flights, it’s $170. Quite a lot of passengers have no idea this factor, however right now, we’re bringing an finish to that circle of ignorance. We’re bringing the laws to Nigerians in an thrilling method.”
Making reporting simpler for the passengers, Achimugui known as the passengers’ consideration to the newly launched NCAA web site, stressing that the portal has made passengers extra conscious, inflicting a spike within the variety of complaints from passengers.
He added that the portal had additionally put the airways on their toes.
Aside from Lagos, Achimugu said that the roadshow and stakeholders’ summit would additionally happen in Abuja and Port Harcourt airports.
In the meantime, the excerpt of an govt abstract seen by our correspondent confirmed that Air France had the best variety of lacking baggage with 2,075 circumstances amongst overseas carriers flying into Nigeria.
This was adopted by KLM with 1,938; Egypt Air, 1,850; Royal Air Maroc, 1,745, British Airways, 1,428; Lufthansa, 1,535; Kenya Airways with 1,346; and Delta Airways, 1,101.
Others embody Qatar Airways, 980; Ethiopian Airways, 545; Air Cote d’Ivoire, 424; Rwandair, 365; Asky, 290, South African Airways, 77; Air Peace, 49; Africa World Airways, 35; Taag Angola, 31; and the Center East with solely 5 lacking baggage.
The abstract from NCAA additional indicated that no fewer than 19,274 passengers’ baggage, throughout all airways – overseas and native had been declared delayed/lacking within the first half of 2024.
