AON berates attackers of Max Air staff, says offence punishable by law
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the umbrella body of indigenous airlines, has vehemently criticized unruly passengers over a recent attack on Max Air staff due to flight delay.
The passengers were alleged to have destroyed the airline’s valuable items at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; a recurring situation that prompted the intervention of the AON.
In a statement signed by the AON President, Alhaji (Dr.) Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina, the union said the airport vicinity is a sensitive environment where all manners of brazen conduct are not allowed.
The AON said flight delays and cancellations happen worldwide and, sometimes, the airlines are not in control of 80 per cent of the factors that cause them.
“The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) hereby condemns in the strongest terms the recent attack by some unruly passengers on the staff of Max Air and the wanton destruction of the airline’s properties due to a flight delay.
“The unfortunate development further heightens our deepest concern and worry over the increasingly deplorable state of security and the rising threat to the lives of airline staff and their properties at Nigerian airports.
“The airport vicinity is a sensitive and sacrosanct environment where people are not allowed to behave in a callous and uncontrollable manner. A situation where passengers are allowed to have access into sensitive restricted areas of the airport and attack airline staff or prevent a plane from departing to other destinations because a particular flight is delayed or cancelled puts the country in a bad light in the international community.
“Issues of delay or cancellation can be addressed in a civil manner without resorting to violence. The unruly passengers that went after Max Air and destroyed the computer reservation systems further exacerbated the problem for other passengers going to other destinations. Such acts are completely unacceptable.
“AON understands the frustrations whenever a flight is delayed or cancelled and we apologize to passengers on behalf of airlines for such delays or cancellations. It is however instructive to note that delays happen worldwide and there are conditions that cause them.
“In Nigeria, 80% of the causes of delays and cancellations are due to factors that are not in the control of airlines. Airlines operating in Nigeria are forced to operate in an environment that is wrought with infrastructure deficiencies that are highly disruptive to normal schedule reliability and on-time performance,” said AON.
According to the AON, “some of the more prevalent causes of delays and cancellations include: unavailability and the rising cost of Jet A1 (which today costs above N585 per litre in Lagos, N607 in Abuja and Port Harcourt, and N685 in Kano), inadequate parking space for aircraft on the apron sometimes leading to ground accidents.
Other possible causes could be “inadequate screening and exit points at departure, inefficient passenger access and facilitation, natural and unforeseen circumstances such as weather and catastrophic failures (e.g. bird strikes & component failures), and restrictions caused by sunset airports among others.”
The AON appealed to passengers to show restraint in expressing their frustration and displeasure whenever their flights are delayed or cancelled.
The union also reeled out statutory injunctions and recommended practices expected of passengers, as enshrined in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs 2012, Vol. II), which demands that all passengers must be of good behaviour at all stages of their journey.
“AON would therefore like to appeal to passengers to express some restraint in expressing their displeasure or frustrations during flight delays or cancellations. This is because the airline, within the prevailing circumstances could be complying with a safety procedure, obeying a regulation, or facing certain difficulties beyond its immediate control.
“It is also necessary to put on record that while passengers are entitled to their rights, they also have some obligations and responsibilities. For instance, in Part 19 of “Nig. CARs 2012, Vol. II highlights some rights and responsibilities of passengers.
“Item six (6) of the NCAA’s Notice on Passenger Obligations To Airlines/Service Providers requires passengers to: “Be of good behavior at all stages of their journey,” adding that “Airlines and agencies have a zero policy for unruly behavior,” the AON said.
Citing Part 17.92.1 of the Nig. CARs 2012, Vol. II, the AON added that in the event that a passenger becomes unruly at the airport or onboard an aircraft, the airline reserves the right to deny them boarding; and should they resort to violence or physical attack, they could be prosecuted or fined accordingly.
The AON called on the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Ministry of Aviation to protect the lives of airline staff and other airport users by beefing up security at the airports.
“May we state also, that should a similar occurrence like the unfortunate case with Max Air happen to any of our member airlines going forward, AON may be forced to have a rethink on how to respond in such circumstances,” it added.
