Airlines must refund airfares after two-hour delay – Sirika
The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, has directed airlines to refund the full cost of travel tickets to passengers after two hour delay, among other consumer rights breaches.
The minister stated this yesterday while fielding questions at a ministerial press briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Sirika, who read some of the rights of aviation passengers, challenged them to demand their rights when trampled upon by airlines as he highlighted them.
“On domestic flights, delay beyond one hour; carrier shall provide refreshment, make one phone call or one SMS or email. They should send you an SMS or call you to say, ‘I’m sorry you are delayed for one hour’. They should also give you water or Fanta.
“Delay for two hours and beyond, the carrier shall reimburse passengers the full value of the tickets. Delay between 10pm to 4am, carrier shall provide hotel accommodation, refreshment, meal, two free calls, SMS, email and transport to and from the airport and international, it also says all of the requirements.”
He said the same rules apply for international flights.
Sirika said his ministry had started sanctioning defaulting airlines and implored passengers not to be unruly at airports.
He also said the debts owed by airlines and other companies in the country to federal agencies under his ministry have hit N37 billion.
On the proposed new national carrier, the minister said his ministry will present the re-worked Outline Business Case (OBC) to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in the next one or two weeks for approval.
Some operators however said the regulations already exist and being implemented but that some of the provisions may not be realistic.
Spokesperson of Dana Air, Kingsley Ezenwa, said, “All is already being done. When we give hotel of course we take them to and from the hotel. We did recently in one of the states we fly.”
Another airline operator said circumstances of force majeure triggered by bad weather makes it difficult to implement some of the regulations.
A passenger and analyst, Dr. Daniel Young described the directive as a welcome development, saying many airlines are keeping passengers’ funds for services not rendered.