Chairman, Foreign Airline Operators Committee, Mr. Damilola Ogunseye; Chairman, Jonah Aviation Holding, South Africa, Mr. John Westerhoff; Chief Executive Officer, ValueJet, Mr. Trevor Henry; Chairman, LAAC, Mr. Suleiman Idris; President NANTA, Mr. Yinka Folami; Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA, Mr. Michael Achimugu; Director, Airline Services, Ibom Air, Mrs. Amaka Echetabu and othe guests, during the NCAA Consumer Protection National Stakeholders’ Summit held in Lagos on Tuesday
…call for enforcement of airlines’ responsibilities
By Sade Williams
Stakeholders in the aviation sector on Tuesday, called for reorientation of workers on rights and responsibilities of passengers as well as enforcement of airlines’responsibilities to passengers.
At a one-day Consumer Protection National Stakeholders Summit organised by the Consumer Protection Directorate (CPD) of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) the anexe at Lagos airport, Chief Operating Officer Ibom Air, George Uriesi said development and reorientation of the human capital is highly needed for technology to thrive in managing and resolving air travel customer complaints.
The theme for the summit was ‘Achieving Increased Adoption of Digital Technology in Air Travel Customer Complain Management ‘.
Speaking on the development, Uriesi’s representative, Mrs. Amaka Echetabu, Director, airline services, Ibom airline, lauded the regulatory authority for deploying blockchain technology for real-time complaints resolution but observed that personnel, especially those coming directly in with passengers, need reorientation and development if such issues should be promptly resolved digitally.
“This is not a difficult thing to achieve because we are no re-inventing the wheel, we only need to adapt and comply with regulations. In the past few years, the NCAA has been humanised, unmasked and made very user friendly for stakeholders. Ibom airline is secure with NCAA, they come to us with collaboration and not with condensation, they represent us to the passengers as it should be. The Consumer Protection Directorate has lost its monster status, we now have a CPD that is engaging and very active.
“NCAA CPD is really working, we are not there yet,, we are here to forge a way forward but most importantly, there is the need for the development and re-orientation of the human capital that is needed to drive the technology that we need, this is key. What is the mindset of the most junior staff in an agency , when we dely the technology, if our culture is not addressed, the whole thing will look like a white elephant project”, he said.
Also speaking, First Baba Isa, an aviation lawyer, berated airlines for shirking their responsibilities to passengers when they default in rendering services to passengers.
From left:: Senior Special Assistant to the Ag. DG NCAA, Ms. Ifueko Abdulmalik; Director, Airline Services, Ibom Air, Mrs. Amaka Echetabu; Chairman, Jonah Aviation Holding, South Africa, Mr. John Westerhoff; Deputy Commisioner of Police, Interpol Abuja, Mr. Solomon Oke; Deputy Commander, NDLEA, Mr. Aigberer Bart and Prisident NANTA, Mr. Yinka Folami, during the NCAA Consumer Protection National Stakeholder Summit held in Lagos. on Tuesday
Isa, who raised a number of issues ranging from flight delays, cancellations to poor customer and inflight service, urged NCAA to beam its searchlight on airlines responsibilities.
“Generally, consumers have observed that airlines never fail in holding them accountable to their duties and obligations, they will charge passengers for no show, they cancel flights without compensation and pretend that they are not aware of their responsibilities and when you call them, they keep apologizing without resolving the issue, inflight services have become poorer while they treat passengers with reduced mobility with disrespect, this is a recurring situation in travellers’ experience and the NCAA must look into this”, he said.
Generally, airlines’ responsibilities to passengers include informing passengers of their rights in case of flight disruptions; offering meals and refreshments; offering hotel accommodation and transfer if an overnight stay is required; providing two telephone calls or emails; compensating the passenger unless there is an extraordinary circumstance and rebooking passengers free of charge if they are denied boarding, among others.
Michael Achimugu, Director, Public.Affairs and Consumer protection, NCAA, said the Authority will make decisions and adjustments that will not compromise safety and security, but will uplift the travel experience of the people for the sake of passengers.
“This is not the time for flowery words and showboating. We must brace ourselves for the uncomfortable, yet, unavoidable conversations. We are gathered here today because we all want the same thing; a much better aviation industry.
“The task before us is huge. We will step on toes to get the right thing done. We will make decisions and adjustments that will not compromise safety and security, but will uplift the travel experience of the people for whose sake, the industry exists; the passengers.”, he said.
