April 16, (THEWILL) – Domestic airline operators under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), have condemned the recent attack by some unruly passengers on staff of Max Air and the wanton destruction of the airline’s properties due to a flight delay.
According to the operators, the unfortunate incident further heightens their deepest concern and worry over the increasingly deplorable state of security and the rising threat to the lives of airline staff and their properties at Nigerian airports.
In an official statement issued at the weekend, signed by the AON President, Alhaji Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina, made it clear that airport vicinity is a sensitive and sacrosanct environmen,t where people are not allowed to behave in callous and uncontrollable manner.
They warned that a situation where passengers are allowed to have access into sensitive restricted areas of the airport and attack airline staff or prevent a plane from departing to other destinations because a particular flight is delayed or cancelled puts the country in a bad light in the international community.
According to the body, issues of delay or cancellation can be addressed in a civil manner without resorting to violence. It therefore, noted that the unruly passengers that went after Max Air and destroyed the computer reservation systems further exacerbated the problem for other passengers going to other destinations. Such acts are completely unacceptable.
The body further explained that “AON understands the frustrations whenever a flight is delayed or cancelled and we apologise to passengers on behalf of airlines for such delays or cancellations. It is, however, instructive to note that delays happen worldwide and there are conditions that cause them.”
AON also pointed out that in Nigeria, 80 percent of the causes of delays and cancellations are due to factors that are not in the control of airlines.
“Airlines operating in Nigeria are forced to operate in an environment that is wrought with infrastructure deficiencies that are highly disruptive to normal schedule reliability and on time performance”, they stated.
The operators listed some of the more prevalent causes of delays and cancellations to include: unavailability and rising cost of Jet A1 (which today costs above N585 per litre in Lagos, N607 in Abuja and Port Harcourt, and N685 in Kano), inadequate parking space for aircraft on the apron sometimes leading to ground accidents, inadequate screening and exit points at departure, inefficient passenger access and facilitation, natural and unforeseen circumstances such as weather and catastrophic failures (e.g. bird strikes & component failures), and restrictions caused by sunset airports among others.
“AON would therefore like to appeal to passengers to express some restraint in expressing their displeasure or frustrations during flight delays or cancellation. This is because the airline, within the prevailing circumstances could be complying with a safety procedure, obeying a regulation or facing certain difficulties beyond its immediate control.
“It is also necessary to put on record that while passengers are entitled to their rights, they also have some obligations and responsibilities. For instance, Part 19 of “Nig. CARs 2012, Vol. II highlights some rights and responsibilities of passengers.”
They also called on the Federal government through the Ministry of Aviation and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to beef up security at the nation’s airports and ensure that the lives of airline staff and their properties are lawfully protected.
On the unruly passenger AON warned that should a similar occurrence like the unfortunate case with Max Air happen to any of their member airlines going forward, the body of operators may be forced to have a rethink on how to respond in such circumstances.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
