Passengers With Downgraded Air Tickets To Get Refund Within 30 Days

November 20, (THEWILL) – In line with a renewed campaign to sensitise passengers to their rights, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has disclosed for the umpteenth time that if an operating air carrier places a passenger in a class lower than that for which the ticket was purchased, it shall immediately reimburse the difference to the passenger in accordance with the mode of payment within 30 days from the date of travel.

This is in addition to 30% of the price of the ticket for all domestic flights immediately and 50% of the price of the ticket for all international flights within 14 days.

Assistant General Manager, Flight Operations and Adjudication, NCAA, Ifueko Abdulmalik, gave a hint on Tuesday, at the NCAA Consumer Protection National Stakeholders Summit held at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, with the theme: “Achieving Increased Adoption of Digital Technology In Air Travel Customer Complaint Management: The Regulatory Perspective”.

For flight delays, the AGM said that according to Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulation (Nig. CARs), 2023, Part 19, it stipulates that there should be information 30 minutes after the scheduled departure time and refreshments, telephone calls, SMS after two hours.

She also emphasised that there should be reimbursement and re-routing when it is beyond three hours while hotel and transportation are to be provided at a time beyond 10 pm till 4 am, or at a time when the airport is closed at the point of departure or final destination.

“Compensation is to be made after 6 hours for domestic flights and 4 hours for international flights.

“25% of the fares or passenger ticket price for all flights within Nigeria. 30% of the passenger ticket price for all international flights. When passengers are offered re-routing to their final destination on an alternative flight the arrival time of which does not exceed the scheduled arrival time of the flight originally booked: by one hour, in respect of all domestic flights; by three hours, in respect of all international flights, the operating airline may reduce the compensation provided for in by 50%”, she said.

According to her, over the years, passengers have been faced with issues such as flight cancellations, delays, poor service, and inadequate compensation mechanisms.

Abdulmalik however, affirmed that the Consumer Protection regulations offer a strong regulatory framework to provide consumers with better protection against such situations, ensuring their rights are respected. Inclusivity and Fairness:

“The aviation industry must be accessible to all segments of society, including people with disabilities, women, and marginalised groups. This includes equal air travel access and appropriate services for all passengers”, she added.

While ensuring that all stakeholders—airlines, passengers, and airport operators—are treated equitably, Abdulmalik pointed out that Consumer Protection Regulations are designed to ensure that consumers are treated with respect and transparency, while airlines and operators also benefit from clear, non-discriminatory regulations.

Commending the NCAA, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Ibom Air, Mr George Uriesi, thanked the NCAA for putting together the event.

Uriesi, a Keynote Speaker, who was represented by the Director, Airline Services, Ibom Air, Mrs Amaka Echetabu, said the stakeholders present at the event are not trying to reinvent the wheel and that the only new thing they are trying to do is to reassess the human capital development, so that it can impact on technology and make it work.

“NCAA CPD is working. They have lost that monstrous status. We are gathered here today to know how to forge ahead. The human capital is very important. There is a need for lots of developments in the human capital space. When the human capital is turned around, then technology can work”, she said.

Advising on the issue of compensation, Echetabu pointed out that, there is a need to look at some parts of the Part 19, 2023 NCARs wholly because of some conditionalities noticeable in the legal framework.