Skip to main content

16,353 cases of delayed flights recorded in 6 months-NCAA

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority

Domestic airlines operating in Nigeria recorded 16,353 cases of delayed flights between January and June, statistics from the Consumer Protection Department of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have revealed.

A document issued by the department and obtained on Thursday by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, shows that 30,100 flights were operated by eight airlines during the period under review.

According to the document, 601 flights were cancelled for various reasons by the airlines.

It said the airlines in operation were Aero Contractors, Arik Air, Air Peace, Azman Air, Dana Air, First Nation, Med-View and Overland.

Arik, which operated 10,261 flights, topped the chart of delayed and cancelled flights with 5,780 and 156 respectively.

Aero Contractors followed with 2,895 delayed flights and 231 cancellations out of its 4,714 flight operations, the department reported.

Air Peace operated 5,366 flights with 2,328 cases of delayed flights and 12 cancelled flights, the report added.

Meanwhile, the airlines attributed the delays and cancellations to the lingering scarcity of aviation fuel in the country.

A travel and tourism expert, Mr Ikechi Uko, urged the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the issue.

Uko, who is the promoter of Akwaaba African Travel and Tour Market, said acute shortage of aviation fuel had disrupted the operations of most domestic airlines in recent weeks.

He said the development was not good for the industry.

“The fuel situation has led to flight cancellations and delays. When an airline has issue of schedule integrity, it affects the brand of the airline.

“So, now almost every Nigerian airline is having problem of brand integrity.

“We are having frequent flight cancellations and delays and passengers are kept waiting unnecessarily. No airline enjoys treating passengers like that.

“The situation will only be helped when the fuel is available.

“If it is not available, most foreign airlines will load fuel from other countries but for Nigerian carriers, they do not have such an option,” Uko said.

NAN recalls that in July NCAA advised domestic airlines to scale down their flight operations because of the lingering scarcity of aviation fuel.

The Acting General Manager, Public Relations of the agency, Mr Sam Adurogboye, said NCAA was concerned and would not want passengers to suffer unduly because of the scarcity.

NAN learnt that aviation fuel cost from N160 to N200 per litre.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...

Houthis Claim Attack on Central Israel in Response to Gaza ‘Massacres’

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has taken a concerning regional turn as the Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for an attack on central Israel. The group announced this as part of their escalating response to what they describe as "massacres" in Gaza amid the Israeli military’s operations in the strip. Details of the Attack The Houthis, a Shiite militant group with ties to Iran, declared that they launched missile and drone strikes targeting Israel. While the exact impact of these attacks remains unclear, reports suggest that Israel’s defense systems intercepted several threats over its airspace. This marks a significant escalation as the Houthis widen their involvement in the conflict beyond their typical operations within Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia. The Houthis’ Justification In their statement, the Houthis framed the attack as retaliation for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which they characterized as indiscriminate bombings resultin...

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...