Airline Operators Must Compensate Passengers After Delays - FG | SEE DETAILS

The Minister for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said this on Thursday, July 8, during the weekly State House Briefing in Aso Villa, Abuja.

Sirika said both national and international airline operators, will refund the full cost of travel tickets to passengers after a two-hour delay , while one hour delay entails providing refreshment and a telephone call for passengers.

"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,ÔÇØ the minister said.

He read some of the rights of aviation passengers at the briefing and charged them to demand their rights whenever they are being trampled upon by airlines.

The minister, who said his ministry has started sanctioning some airlines who default on consumer rights, however, urged passengers not to be unruly at airports.

Airline operators led by the Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, had on Tuesday, July 6, appeared before the Senate Committee on Aviation chaired by Senator Smart Adeyemi.

The delegation blamed the delays on non-availability and rising cost of aviation fuel, also known as JetA1 and inadequate parking spaces at airports.

Other reasons cited were non-availability of forex for spare parts and maintenance, sudden change of weather, delay due to VIP movement, inefficient passenger access and facilitation, delay clearance of spare parts from Customs and inadequate screening and exit points at departure.