- Najomo stated that out of 5,513 flights operated in October 2024, 2791 were delayed while 111 flights were cancelled.
The Federal Government has expressed deep worry over the incessant flight delays and cancellations in recent times
According to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, out of 5,291 flights operated in September 2024, 2,434 were delayed while 79 were cancelled.
Acting Director-General of NCAA, Chris Najomo, disclosed this on Friday during a stakeholders’ meeting with the theme, ‘Finding lasting solutions to flight disruptions’.
Najomo stated that out of 5,513 flights operated in October 2024, 2791 were delayed while 111 flights were cancelled.
Najomo on Friday held a meeting with airlines’ Chief Executive Officers, amid the frequent flight delays and cancellations during the festive season.
The stakeholders meeting is being attended by airline operators; Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, representatives of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET, among others.
Chairman/CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema is also in attendance with other members of the airline operators association.
Najomo stated that he has received barrage of calls from the Presidency, the National Assembly and the Ministry concerning the flight problems.
“The Senate President called me asking what are we doing about these disruptions. A lot has happened in the last one week,” he said.
Najomo also said that while he understands the challenges faced by the airlines as he himself was once a player in the aviation sector before becoming a regulator, he would not sit down and watch the situation deteriorate further.
He reminded the operators of the provisions of the NCAA Regulations on Passenger Rights during disruptions, as outlined in the Nigeria Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection) Regulations, 2023.
He advised the airlines to handle delays in a most professional way, saying poor management of delays is the issue with the operators.
Najomo also warned passengers against destroying airlines’ property and beating up their employees over delays, saying unruly behaviour would not be tolerated
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