In a bid to safeguard passengers’ interests, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has introduced stringent measures to tackle luggage delays, imposing fines of $170 and N10,000 on erring airlines.
Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, stated this on Monday during a roadshow organised by NCAA at the Lagos airport to sensitise passengers who will be travelling during the yuletide.
He said the fine will be imposed on foreign and local airlines, respectively for delayed passenger’s luggage as a first measure to guide against such an act.
Achimugu also assured passengers that the regulatory agency would implement the sanctions to the latter.
Achimugu decried the fact that, for a very long time, most air travellers were unaware of their rights, allowing airlines to continue violating them.
The NCAA publicist explained that with the roadshow, the travelling public would be more aware of their rights in the NCAA acts and the appropriate quarters to complain to.
He said: “For way too long, Nigerians have been claiming not to know about the existence and the duties of the NCAA. Our duty, which is what we owe Nigerians, is to bring awareness to the industry. The passengers need to become more aware of their rights so that airlines will not continue to cheat them.
“The little things about the regulations that the passengers need to know, for instance, if you arrive at an airport and your luggage didn’t arrive with you, most passengers do not know that they have a right to demand compensation from the airlines.
“If it is a domestic flight, you can walk to the airline’s counter to demand for your N10,000 for not bringing your bag with you. For international flights, it is $170. A lot of passengers do not know this thing, but today, we are bringing an end to that circle of ignorance. We are bringing the regulations to Nigerians in an exciting manner.”
Making reporting easier for the passengers, Achimugui called the passengers’ attention to the newly launched NCAA website, stressing that the portal has made passengers more aware, causing a spike in the number of complaints from passengers.
He added that the portal had also put the airlines on their toes.
Apart from Lagos, Achimugu stated that the roadshow and stakeholders’ summit would also occur in Abuja and Port Harcourt airports.