The Federal Government has directed airlines to fully refund airfares to passengers after a two-hour delay. Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika gave this directive warning that sanctions will also be imposed on airlines that violate consumer rights.
Of late, flight cancellations and delays are gradually becoming the order of the day, especially inter-city air transportation in Nigeria. Commercial airlines operating scheduled flights keep passengers waiting at airports for hours after their scheduled departure time.
However, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, addressed this issue during the weekly State House Briefing in Aso Villa, Abuja on Thursday, 8th July, 2021.
The Minister who read some of the rights of aviation passengers at the briefing, charged passengers to demand their rights whenever they are being trampled upon by airlines, but they shouldn’t be unruly at airports.
“On domestic flights, delay beyond one hour, carrier should provide refreshment, and one telephone call, or one SMS, or one e-mail. They should send you an SMS or email or call you to say, ‘I am sorry, I am delaying for one hour’.
“Delay for two hours and beyond, the carrier shall reimburse passengers the full volume of their tickets.
“Delay between 10pm and 4am, carrier shall provide hotel accommodation, refreshment, meal, two free calls, SMS, email and transport to-and-fro airport,” Sirika said, adding that the same rules apply for international flights.
