By Sade Williams
The Consumer Protection Directorate (CPD) of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is marking a dpecial End of the Year programme for the people of South South region of the country.
To this end, the CPD is inviting air travellers, airline operators, other aviation service providers to a two-day Consumer Awareness events in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, geared towards the sensitization of the travelling public on the rights and obligations of passengers.
The programme, which was put together by different organizations will involve Consumer Awareness roadshow with the theme: Effective and Efficient Travel Experience Management for Increased Participation and Enhanced Regulation.’
The Road Show, which is organized by Janvier Technologies Ltd, will be held on December 4, 2024.
It will kick-off at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa by 10:00 Am.
This will be followed by Town Hall, which has the theme: Repositioning Nigerian Aviation Industry for Operational Efficiency, Service Excellence and Economic Viability.
The Town Hall event is organized by GPC Limited and it will be conducted in interactional manner to create opportunity for the full participation of passengers to air their experiences about travelling by air in Nigeria. It will be held at LA kings Event Centre, 31 Stadium Road, Port Harcourt.
These two events will be capped by a Conference on December 5, 2024. The theme of the conference is: ‘Enhancing Global Prominence and International Competitiveness of Nigerian Aviation Sector.’
It is organized by Pliance Global Aviation and it will be held at Osborn La-palm Royal Resort, 3 Olaka Street, off Abacha Road, GRA Phase 2, Port Harcourt.
The Consumer Protection Directorate of NCAA has carried out studies and discovered that many passengers do not know their rights and obligations and also that flight delays could be caused by natural phenomena and therefore neither the airline nor the airport management could be blamed for situations occasioned by such circumstances.
So, it is in pursuance of the renewed commitment of the executive management of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority under the leadership of Capt. Chris Ona Najomo, towards birthing a civil aviation that will contribute maximally to economic growth and development in the country that the regulatory authority has decided to close this gap through the sensitization campaign.
One of the objectives of the town hall interaction is to inform consumers of their rights, build a more informed customers and air travel community base, entrench service excellence culture across the civil aviation value chain in the country.
There has been great need, more than ever, to adopt a more robust and inclusive regulatory approach and strategic intervention mechanism in the discharge of the Authority’s mandate.
For effective feedback from air travellers, there will be random customer interviews and engagement and a town hall interface with stakeholders.
This programme has become necessary to close the gap of knowledge between air travelers, airlines and aviation agencies, which in the past had led to animosities and poor consumer experience among many that travel both on domestic and international destinations.
Experts will deliver papers at the conference to expand the knowledge of air travellers and airport users on the innovative ideas introduced by the current management of NCAA on consumer protection and also to throw light once again on the Customer rights as contained in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (NCAR).
Fundamentally, the series of stakeholder engagement and public awareness programme is aimed at setting the roadmap for achieving a more efficient civil aviation and air transportation system in the country, through an inclusive dialogue by critical stakeholders and major actors in the Nigerian civil aviation air transportation value chain.
