New Policy: NCAA Urges Airlines to Blacklist Unruly Passengers, Enforce Consumer Protection
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that in a move to enforce tougher measures to protect staff and maintain order in the airlines operations, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has urged domestic airlines to introduce a blacklist policy for unruly passengers as a strong deterrent against disruptive behaviour.
OTN News further reports as gathered that the NCAA gave this new directive through its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, who disclosed this while speaking in Abuja, during a stakeholders' meeting with airline operators.
OTN News observes from the information gathered that the session addressed several regulatory issues, including passenger misconduct, unresolved refund disputes, enforcement of safety protocols, protection of cabin crew, introduction of RFID bag tags, and ways to improve overall travel experience.
Speaking at the meeting, Achimugu criticized airlines for repeatedly complaining about unruly passengers while failing to blacklist offenders.
He stressed that disruptive passengers must learn that paying for a service does not grant them the right to assault or harass airline staff.
He, however, encouraged passengers with grievances to escalate their complaints to the NCAA for regulatory redress rather than resorting to violence.
Supporting these concerns, the Senior Special Assistant to the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Ifueko Abdulmalik, condemned the frequent rescheduling of flights without adequate communication or care for passengers.
She highlighted the rising volume of refund complaints in recent months and insisted that airlines must comply with refund policies and baggage regulations.
OTN News however, observes that Airlines represented at the meeting included Arik Air, Ibom Air, Aero Contractors, United Nigeria, Green Africa, Max Air, Rano Air, ValueJet, Air Peace, and Overland Airways.
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