The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) yesterday said airlines operating in the country recorded 19,323 cases of delayed flights in six months in 2018. The regulatory agency said the airlines also cancelled 348 flights for various reasons from January to June. The NCAA director-general, Muhtar Usman, made the disclosure at an interactive forum with Aviation Agencies and Airlines' Information Managers in Lagos. Mr Usman said: "The eight domestic airlines recorded a total of 16,880 delayed flights with 253 cancellations. Also, 33 airlines on the international routes recorded 2,443 delayed flights and cancelled 95 flights."
According to him, flights can be delayed or cancelled for safety and operational reasons, especially during adverse weather conditions, but they must be done in accordance with standard civil aviation regulations. He said all airlines had been warned against incessant flight delays and cancellations. Mr Usman said aviation authorities were also working toward creating a more enabling environment for their operations. He said NCAA had also intensified its economic and safety regulations on the airlines in line with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulation Act. Mr Usman said: "Airlines must render their monthly financial obligations in line with the provision of aviation regulations. Airlines must submit financial health returns. "Also, violation to safety regulations is viewed seriously by NCAA."
The director-general said NCAA had begun the process of streamlining aviation charge, saying that the charges were quite moderate when compared to other countries. "There are some existing charges in other countries that are not applicable in Nigeria and this is not to overburden airlines," Mr Usman said. He said the goal of NCAA was to continue to collaborate with other agencies and stakeholders in order to create a robust aviation industry that could contribute more to Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The NCAA also expressed the need for an improved information dissemination and integrated communication among all information managers in the aviation sector, particularly during air incidence and near mishaps. Usman stated that in the past, lack of proper information management has created divergent information and 'one incident different statements' which always create panic in the industry. Reeling out achievements of Nigeria in the aviation sector from January to June, 2018, Usman pointed out that the country has been able to attain the following: FAA Category One; huge success in TSA Safety Audit; review of weather minima after thirty years; attainment of level three in State Safety Programme (SSP)
