Foreign and local airlines will in 30 days time begin to pay heavy fines and compensations for flights delays, cancellations, lost baggage and other related anomalies under a new set of rules introduced on Wednesday by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
The new rules titled, “Passengers’ Rights Regulations,” were introduced in Lagos at a stakeholders’ forum attended by representatives of all foreign and domestic airlines operating in the country.
The forum also had in attendance heads of aviation parastatals, ground handling companies as well as other stakeholders in the industry.
The Director-General, NCAA, Dr. Harold Demuren, who read the notice of proposed rules to the operators, said they would become operational in 30 days’ time.
He said the 30-day notice was to allow the operators and other stakeholders make necessary contributions and protests, where necessary, before the rules were made binding.
The regulatory agency boss said the industry would no longer tolerate any act of violation of rights on the part of the airlines and passengers, stating that the new rules spelt out passengers’ rights as well as airlines.
According to Demuren, the new rules also affectincidence of “no-show” by passengers, overbooking, and denied boarding.
The NCAA boss said the new set of rights applied to passengers departing from an airport located within the Nigerian territory to another airport within the country; passengers departing from an airport located in another country to an airport situated within Nigeria; and to foreign air transportation with respect to non-stop flight segments originating at a point within Nigeria.
The rules, he said, “shall also apply on the condition that a passenger has a confirmed reservation on the flight or has been transferred by an air carrier or tour operator from the flight for which he/she held a reservation to another flight, irrespective of the reason.”
Demuren noted that the new regulations would not apply to passengers travelling free of charge or at a reduced fare not available directly or indirectly to the public.
He, however, said that it would apply to passengers having tickets issued under a frequent flyer programme or other commercial programmes by an air carrier or tour operator.
The NCAA boss said, “These regulations shall apply to any operating air carrier providing transport to passengers. Where an operating air carrier, which has no contract with the passenger, performs obligations under these regulations, it shall be regarded as doing so on behalf of the carrier having a contract with that passenger.
“These regulations shall not apply in cases where a packaged tour is cancelled for reasons other than cancellation of the flight.”
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