Enough of passengers’ attacks on airline officials, NCAA plans prosecution of defaulters
As an antidote to rising attacks on airline staff by aggrieved passengers, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has come up with a deterrent option that will halt the trend.
In a statement issued by the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of NCAA, Mr. Sam Adurogboye, any passenger or set of air traveler who attack airline officials will henceforth face criminal charges.
While stressing that time has gone when passengers take laws into their hands during observed operational errors, he warned aggrieved passengers to take their reports to appropriate authorities and desist from attacks.
Before now, several airlines had reported series of attacks on their officials.
Several passengers argue that some airline staff are in the habit of embarrassing air passengers because they felt highly protected within the confines of the airports.
Adurogboye, was quick to add that passengers had inalienable rights while travelling by air, stressing that “The Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs 2015 Part 19) prescribes minimum rights for air travellers on the occurrence of any of the following: no show and overbooking of flights, denied boarding, delay and cancellation of flights, etc.
“These rights shall apply without prejudice to a passenger’s right under any applicable law or contract. However, passengers are not expected to take the law into their own hands if and when there are operational hiccups, which are capable of truncating air services.
“All over the world, overbooking, denied boarding, delays and cancellations similarly occur in extraordinary circumstances. As contained in Part 19.7.2, airlines have the obligation to inform passengers on cancellation, an explanation shall be given concerning possible alternative transport. Also, in Part 19.7.3, an operating airline shall not be obliged to pay compensation for cancellation if it can prove that the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances, which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.
“Part 19.7.4, the burden of proof concerning any question as to whether and when the passenger has been informed of the cancellation of the flight shall rest with the operating airline,” NCAA said.
