By Cross Udo, Abuja
The Federal Government, through the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit, has called on the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to revisit a draft policy that would impose stricter sanctions on airlines over the rising number of flight delays and cancellations nationwide.
Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and head of the CRDCU, Hadiza Bala-Usman, recommended this during a performance assessment meeting held at the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development in Abuja on Wednesday.
The engagement was part of the ongoing review of the Q1–Q3 2024 Performance Assessment Report on implementing Presidential Priorities and Ministerial Deliverables.
Bala-Usman’s office revelled details of the meeting in a post on its X handle on Tuesday.
She underscored the urgent need for more robust measures to protect passengers from the inconveniences and financial losses caused by frequent flight disruptions.
The presidential aide highlighted the Ministry’s “shortcomings in stakeholder and customer engagement,” pointing out that comprehensive data on service delivery and complaints resolution was incomplete, thus hampering an accurate, independent assessment of progress.
In addition to advocating for stricter penalties on erring airlines, Bala-Usman also recommended revising the current 224-day target for resolving customer complaints, describing it as “unrealistic” and not in line with global standards.
The report read, “She described this critical given the increasing number of flight delays and cancellations and the impact on affected passengers.
“She further recommended revising the current target of 224 days for resolving customer complaints, describing it as unrealistic and in need of urgent recalibration to align with global best practices.”
She urged a timeline review to ensure speedier and more effective dispute resolution for passengers.
Responding to these concerns, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo appreciated the CRDCU’s diligence and pledged to address the highlighted challenges.
He promised that his Ministry would intensify efforts to enhance service delivery and uphold the highest standards in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
