According to a recent report by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Air Peace and Max Air, two domestic airlines in Nigeria, have been identified as the country’s top culprits for flight cancellations.
The report reveals that 284 flights were cancelled by the 11 domestic airlines operating in Nigeria during the first quarter of this year.
Passengers travelling within Nigeria experience significant disruptions, regardless of their chosen airline. One such incident involved Khadijah Ibrahim, who found herself stranded at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport after being informed that her Air Peace flight from Lagos had been cancelled due to “operational reasons.”
Another episode of chaos unfolded at Aminu Kano Airport when Max Air cancelled a flight to Lagos and delayed an Abuja-bound flight until 2 a.m. Passengers endured hours of uncertainty before receiving any communication from the airline, and to make matters worse, no compensation was offered.
Adeniregun Akanni tweeted his dissatisfaction on Monday, cautioning others against using Max Air for severe journeys. Akanni’s tweet read, “Max Air is not reliable. People should avoid flying with them if they have a crucial journey.”
According to the NCAA report, Air Peace emerged as the domestic carrier with the highest number of cancelled flights, totaling 63 from January to March. Max Air closely followed with 56 cancellations. Arik Air cancelled 43 flights, while Aero Contractors and Azman Air cancelled 40 and 20, respectively. Green Africa, Overland, and Value Jet withdrew 16, 15, and 15 flights, respectively. Ibom Air, Dana Air, and United Airlines had 9, 5, and 2 cancelled flights each.
In addition, the NCAA report disclosed that during the first quarter of 2023, 2,791,591 passengers passed through Nigeria’s domestic airports, with 1,391,560 being inbound passengers and 1,400,031 being outbound passengers.
Although the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) 2015, currently being amended, ensure that passengers receive full refunds for delayed or cancelled flights, passengers have reported difficulties and time-consuming processes in obtaining such reimbursements.
The regulations emphasise that passengers should receive comprehensive and transparent flight information, including check-in requirements, refund and rebooking policies, and procedures and responsibilities regarding delayed and cancelled flights.
