Aviation
Air Travellers Lament Incessant Flight Delays
Air travellers using the
Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa have lamented what they described as incessant flight delays and inconveniences.
Passengers of Arik Air and Aero Contractor, decried the inconveniences costed them by delayed flight operations by the airlines that have resulted in embarrassing situations to their customers.
A senior Government functionary from Bayelsa State who spoke to The Tide said he was scheduled to board Arik Air flight to Abuja by 3:30pm on Friday could not travel till about 6:00pm, noting that the airlines are taking Nigerians for granted without proper apologies.
The man who pleaded anonymity said he left Yenagoa by 12:20pm and arrived the airport eearly enough for the scheduled flight time of 3:30pm, but regretted that the delay had caused him to miss an appointment.
Another staff of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) who would not want her name in print told The Tide Aviation correspondent that the airlines especially Arik and Aero contractors are causing much inconvenience throughout the month of July as a result of rescheduling of flights.
She described a particular day when a scheduled Arik Air flight for 6:45pm was delayed till 10:35pm, stressing that she got home that day some minutes past 12:00 midnight when she was expected to resume duty early the following morning.
Another Air Port business operator narrated a scenario where a student going to Machonald University Elele, arrived Port Harcourt airport with Arik from Lagos flight was stranded at about 9:50pm when a flight expected to arrive by 4:00pm was delayed unnecessarily.
The female student who cried uncontrollably as a result of the late arrival was however, facified after a female passenger offered to go home with her that night to enable her continue the journey the next day.
On Thursday July 24, 2014, a business man whose 11:30am Arik flight was delayed for two hours taught he could find succor in Aero contractors, but that was not to be and eventually stayed at the airport until the outcome of the meeting he was billed to attend was disclosed to him and the journey was aborted.
Efforts to get the reaction of management of Arik and Aero did not yield any dividend as The Tide was referred to Lagos for comments on the issue.
It would be recalled that recently the management of the two airlines had postponed flight schedules with the passengers only told to bear with the management.
This brings to the question of whether air travelers are helpless and what are the authorities concerned duties assist passengers.
L-R: Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Tom Amolo, Chief Executive Officer, Kenyan Airways, Dr Titus Naikuni, Minister of Tourism, Chief Edem Duke and Kenyan Cabinet Secretary, Tourism, Mrs Philip Kandie, at the inaugural flight of Kenya Airways in Abuja, recently. Photo: NAN
As a measure to curb corruption and restore accountability, the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), has called on the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to push for the urgent formation and inauguration of governing boards for all other aviation agencies.
ANAP’s Secretary General, AbdulRasaq Saidu, made this call at the weekend when interacting with aviation correspondents, in reaction to recent inauguration of Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Keyamo had recently inaugurated the FAAN board, more than six months after its members were appointed by President Bola Tinubu, where Dr. Umar Ganduje was named Board Chairman, with FAAN’s Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku, as the Vice Chairman.
Other board members include representatives from the Ministries of Justice, Defence, Tourism, and Aviation, as well as professionals from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, and FAAN’s legal department.
The ANAP scribe there urged the aviation Minister not to stop at FAAN but to ensure that all aviation parastatals are given functional boards to restore order and credibility to the sector.
He, however, commended Keyamo for recently inaugurating the board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria but stressed that more needed to be done.
Saidu also warned that the continued delay in constituting boards for other aviation agencies creates room for unchecked abuses, including illegal contracts, fraudulent employment practices, and mismanagement.
“The absence of governing boards violates the enabling Acts that established these agencies. Only properly constituted boards can enforce discipline, ensure due process in decision-making, and provide oversight to prevent corruption”, Saidu said.
He emphasised that the aviation unions, including ANAP, have consistently raised concerns about poor governance and lack of transparency within the aviation system.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to act swiftly by appointing board members for all relevant agencies, in the interest of fairness and aviation safety.
Saidu also tackled the former Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, for failing to inaugurate any boards during his eight-year tenure, despite appointments being made by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“ANAP raised the alarm several times under Sirika’s leadership, but nothing changed. That lapse has continued under the current administration, and it must be addressed now”, Saidu stated.
By: Corlins Walter