NCAA: 5,225 Flights Delayed, 190 Cancelled in Two Months

*Reads riot act to passengers who engage in violence at airports 

*Onyema decries negative attacks on airline 

Chinedu Eze

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has disclosed that in September 2024, airlines operated 5,291 with 2, 434 delays and 79 cancellations and in October 2024, domestic airlines recorded 5513 flights with 2791 delays and 111 cancellations.
Director General, NCAA, Captain Chris Najomo, who revealed this, also vowed to deal decisively with unruly passengers who destroy airport facilities, fight with airline and airport staff whenever flights are delayed or cancelled.
This was as the Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Dr. Allen Onyema, has decried orchestrated negative reports against the airline and insisted that there was plan to undermine the airline, culminating in the fake report that the airline was involved in air crash in Western Sahara.

Addressing airline representatives, aviation agency officials and others at the interactive forum organised by NCAA for domestic operators, Captain Chris Najomo, who expressed his determination to end the unruly behaviour of passengers, also directed Nigerian airlines not to sell tickets to destinations the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) has indicated in its reports would have unfavourable weather, in order to mitigate delayed and cancelled flights on domestic routes.

The Director General said that the authority would put measures in place to checkmate the actions of unruly passengers at the airports.
He said that NCAA would not condone passengers beating up airline staff when flights are cancelled or delayed due to bad weather or at any other time and insisted that any passenger who goes against the rules at the airport would be persecuted.

Addressing the airlines during the interactive forum, Captain Najomo said airlines must abide by the conditions provided by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulation (NCAR) in making sure that passengers are efficiently served.
“Air travel is not just about transporting passengers from one point to another; it is about doing so with reliability, efficiency, and accountability. When delays and cancellations occur, they disrupt plans, cause financial losses, and undermine passenger confidence in our aviation system.

“Delays and cancellations are sometimes inevitable, but poor management of these disruptions is not. It is the responsibility of airlines to ensure that every disruption, whether due to operational, technical, or weather-related challenges, is handled with the utmost professionalism and regard for passengers’ rights. Particularly as we are in the harmattan season with poor weather conditions that will affect flight operations,” he said.
Najomo lamented the high rate of flight cancellation and delays, saying that actions must be taken to  improve timely operations, from the airlines to the provision of infrastructure at the airports.

“I must remind all operators of the NCAA Regulations on Passenger Rights during disruptions, as outlined in the Nigeria Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection) Regulations, 2023. These regulations are not optional; they are mandatory obligations that ensure: passengers are promptly informed of schedule changes, delays or cancellations. Accommodation, refreshments, and alternative travel arrangements are offered when disruptions exceed the acceptable limits. Adequate compensation is provided where applicable,” he said.

According to him, non-compliance with these regulations will not be tolerated, and going forward, “the NCAA will not hesitate to impose the necessary penalties where violations are observed. I have instructed my team to monitor and enforce compliance and apply sanctions. My team has engaged the industry in the last one year by organizing awareness, sensitization and training sessions for the airlines and the association of travel agents to re-educate them on the provisions of the Nigeria Civil Aviation regulations and airline obligations to passengers in the event of disruptions.

“This is also extended to passengers to also educate them on their responsibilities as the NCAA will also be joining airlines to enforce whatever penalties will be applicable for unruly behavior because with Rights comes responsibilities.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman and CEO of Air Peace and also the Vice-President of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Dr. Onyema, has said that there is orchestrated plan to run down Air Peace and also the aviation industry and insisted that unruly passengers are determined to destroy air transport in Nigeria.

He called on the concerned authorities to move in and check the excesses of some passengers and their co-travellers who publish videos and reports on social media aimed at damaging the image of Air Peace and other airlines.

“Most of the orchestrated negative reports against Air Peace are also aimed at bringing down top players in the aviation agencies and damaging the image of the sector. Under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, the aviation industry has improved significantly. There is the ease of doing business, NCAA and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other agencies have improved. Security agencies should invite those videos discrediting the industry. They malign the airlines and the public has started keying into their narrative. If concerned agencies do not solve the problem of unruly passengers their menace will not stop,” Onyema said.

He also stated that when flight to one destination is cancelled due to bad weather, passengers will get angry and disrupt flights to other destinations where the weather is good enough to fly, thereby disrupting many flights in one day and everything is blamed on the airline.

Onyema stressed that the violent attitude of some Nigerian passengers are only reserved for Nigerian airlines alone, noting that when Nigerian traveller go to Cotonou, they abide by the rules and no matter how long flight may be delayed they will not even raise their voice in protest but if it is Nigeria, they will beat up the airline staff and destroy the airline’s equipment, reiterating that government must have to stop the behaviour of these passengers before it would lead to a dangerous situation.

“Just yesterday we saw a video on social media, saying that Air Peace flight has crashed at Western Sahara. This will tell you how far these people pushing this evil intent are ready to go. If we do not stop them, they may cause something tragic to happen in this industry,” he said.