The Federal Government revealed that around 2,000 air passengers lost 19,274 pieces of luggage between January and June of this year, according to data from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s half-year report.
The report also highlighted that 19,250 passengers experienced significant delays during the same period.
These issues reflect the ongoing challenges faced by air travelers in Nigeria, including the loss of personal belongings and frustrations with the poor experiences at various airports.
Passengers frequently face delayed or abrupt cancellations of scheduled flights at various airports, adding to the frustrations of air travel in Nigeria.
According to NCAA data, 35,398 flights operated by 13 local carriers experienced 16,945 delays, while 26 international airlines had 2,305 flight delays out of the 7,144 flights they operated during the same period.
Additionally, the 13 domestic carriers canceled 696 flights, accounting for 2% of the total flights operated.
The data revealed that 48% of all local flights were delayed by domestic operators, with Dana Air experiencing the highest number of delays. The airline delayed 69% of its flights, affecting 999 out of 1,446 scheduled flights.
The data showed Aero Contractors had 37% of its 1,992 operations delayed, while Arik Air recorded 59% delays, affecting 1,378 out of 2,331 flights.
Other airlines such as Overland Airways, Air Peace, Max Air, Ibom Air, United Nigeria Airlines, Green Africa Airways, ValueJet, Rajo Air, and NG Eagles also faced flight delays.
Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest airline, had 11,111 flights, with 5,350 delays, representing 48% of its operations. Its performance was better than Max Air but worse than Overland Airways.
The half-year report showed that Azman, which only flew 145 times, had 76 delays, indicating 52 per cent flight delays within the period.
The document showed that Aero Contractors had 33 cancelled flights, which was two per cent of its total flights; Arik Air had 32 cancelled flights, representing one per cent of its total operations.
Overland Airways had 57 cancelled flights, accounting for 5% of its total flights. Air Peace saw 294 cancellations, representing 3% of its total flights, while Max Air experienced 23 cancellations, which was 1% of its total flights.
On international routes, airlines operated 7,144 flights, with 2,305 delays and 69 cancellations on flights to and from Nigeria.
Eight international carriers experienced 40% or more flight delays, including Delta Airlines, Cronos, Turkish Airlines, South African Airways, Air Peace, British Airways, Kenya Airways, and Air Côte d’Ivoire.
Delta Airlines, the U.S. carrier, topped the list with 63% of its flights delayed, either inbound or outbound from Nigeria. During the first six months of the year, Delta operated 180 flights, with 113 delays and 7 cancellations.
A staff member of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), speaking anonymously due to lack of authorization, revealed that delays and the loss of passengers’ belongings by airlines have become increasingly common at the Lagos airport.
According to Part 19 of the NCAA regulations under the civil aviation law, passengers whose baggage is damaged or lost on international routes are entitled to compensation of $170, while those on domestic routes are entitled to N10,000 in compensation.
The Act also stipulates that for domestic flights, when an operating air carrier expects a delay beyond the scheduled departure time, it must provide passengers with the reason(s) for the delay within 30 minutes after the scheduled departure time. Additionally, the airline is required to offer the specified assistance to passengers as outlined below:
“After two hours, refreshments as specified in section 19.10.1.1(a) and telephone calls, SMS, and E-mails as specified in section 19.10.1.2; Beyond three hours, reimbursement as specified in sub-section 19.9.1.1(a); And re-routing as specified in subsection 19.9.1.1(b)(c);
“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, hotel accommodation and transport should be provided.”
