Recurring flight delays and cancellations are creating a chain of disruptions across Nigeria’s aviation network, affecting passengers far beyond the airport where a problem begins.
The issue came under scrutiny on Tuesday as the House Committee on Delegated Legislation of the National Assembly visited the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in Abuja. Lawmakers sought stronger regulatory oversight and explanations for persistent disruptions affecting air travellers.
The familiarisation visit brought the lawmakers together with the NCAA’s management to discuss aviation regulation, legislative oversight, consumer protection and reforms. However, the conversation also exposed how an operational problem involving one aircraft can quickly become a wider passenger crisis.
Welcoming the committee, the Director-General Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, stressed the importance of sustained engagement between the NCAA and the National Assembly. He said such engagement would help ensure that Nigeria’s aviation regulations remain responsive to industry realities and aligned with International Civil Aviation Organisation standards.
Najomo pointed to the Civil Aviation Act 2022, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations 2023 and other regulatory instruments. He said they provide the framework for the NCAA’s responsibilities covering safety, security, economic regulation and consumer protection.
The Authority’s regulatory mandate places passenger welfare alongside safety and economic oversight. Its official platform also provides information on passenger rights relating to delays, cancellations, baggage problems and denied boarding. Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)
House Committee Questions Recurring Flight Delays and Cancellations
The lawmakers, however, wanted to know how the regulatory framework is addressing problems passengers continue to encounter.
The Chairman of the Committee, Rt. Hon. Olufemi Richard Bamishile, described the visit as an opportunity to deepen cooperation with the NCAA. He also said it would help lawmakers understand the Authority’s rule-making process and areas requiring legislative attention.
Bamishile raised concerns about outstanding statutory remittances by airlines. He called for amendments that would allow applicable funds to be deducted and remitted directly to the NCAA, strengthening the Authority’s ability to perform its functions.
Meanwhile, Hon. Rufus Adeniyi Ojuawo, a member of the Committee, sought clarification on recurring flight delays and cancellations. He also asked about measures being taken to prevent the disruptions from continuing.
That question brought the operational side of the problem into focus. According to the NCAA, the consequences can extend well beyond the passengers booked on the original flight.
One AOG Aircraft Can Trigger 10 Ripple Effects
Responding at the instance of the DGCA, the NCAA Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr. Michael Achimugu, explained how limited aircraft capacity can amplify disruptions.
He said one aircraft can be scheduled to operate several routes within the same day. Therefore, when that aircraft becomes unavailable or goes AOG, meaning Aircraft on Ground, the consequences can spread rapidly across different cities.
“If an aircraft goes AOG in Abuja, say the Abuja to Lagos flight, there are also persons who are stranded in Lagos as a result of not taking off from Abuja,” Achimugu said.
He explained that the same aircraft could have been scheduled to continue to Katsina, Port Harcourt and eventually return to Abuja.
“That same aircraft is supposed to have gone to say Katsina, Port Harcourt and back to Abuja. So, all those passengers in those cities are stranded for that day,” he added.
The explanation shows why flight delays and cancellations can become a network-wide problem. The ripple effect can produce at least 10 consequences for passengers and airline operations: stranded passengers, missed connections, longer waiting times, additional cancellations, disrupted schedules, passenger backlogs, missed appointments, extra accommodation costs, cancelled journeys and wider disruption across multiple cities.
The financial consequences can also mount. Passengers may miss business appointments, incur additional accommodation costs or cancel journeys altogether because the disruption has made their original plans impossible.
The problem becomes more severe when airlines have limited spare aircraft. One unavailable aircraft can therefore create a chain reaction instead of remaining an isolated operational incident.
More Aircraft Expected to Ease Flight Disruptions
Achimugu said the NCAA is already addressing the aircraft-capacity problem through measures that are enabling more aircraft to enter the Nigerian market.
He linked the development to the signing of Irrevocable Deregistration and Export Request Authorisations, known as IDERA, by the DGCA.
“And that is why the DGCA signed IDERA. Now lessors are able to lease, on dry lease, more aircraft to our operators. So that issue is gradually being dealt with,” he said.
More aircraft could give airlines greater flexibility when an aircraft becomes unavailable. It could also reduce reliance on individual aircraft for several routes, limiting the possibility of one AOG incident triggering multiple flight delays and cancellations.
NCAA Plans Cross-Airline Passenger Protection
The Authority is also developing a passenger-protection mechanism that could reduce the impact of flight delays and cancellations.
Achimugu disclosed that, with the authorisation of the DGCA, the NCAA is working on a system that would allow affected passengers to be protected on other airlines.
“We are also, with the DGCA’s authorisation, working on a system now where airlines can now protect passengers who are delayed or who have cancelled flights on other airlines,” he said.
He added that discussions on the initiative had reached the later stages and that it would soon become operational.
The proposed arrangement could give airlines another option when they cannot immediately accommodate passengers affected by a disruption. Instead of waiting for the original carrier to restore its schedule, affected travellers could potentially be moved to another airline with available capacity.
That could be particularly useful when an AOG incident has already disrupted several flights and created a passenger backlog.
Not Every Flight Delay Is Caused by Airlines
Achimugu also highlighted another complication in tackling flight delays and cancellations: some disruptions originate outside the airlines’ direct control.
He said the NCAA sanctions and penalises airlines where appropriate. However, some operational problems originate from airport infrastructure and other service providers.
“But like you rightly said, most of the disruptions, as much as we sanction, penalise the airlines, are not their fault,” he said.
He cited malfunctioning conveyor belts used to move baggage to aircraft as an example.
“If, for instance, the conveyor belts are not working at the airport to move bags automatically to the aircraft, no airline is coming to announce they couldn’t depart on time because the firm delayed us,” he said.
Instead, the airline may announce that the flight was delayed for operational reasons and subsequently face the regulatory consequences.
The situation underlines the need for a broader approach to aviation disruptions. Airlines remain responsible for their operations, but airport infrastructure and other service providers can also affect punctuality.
For passengers, however, the distinction offers little immediate comfort. Whether the problem starts with an airline, airport infrastructure or another service provider, the traveller remains the person facing the consequences.
Civil Aviation Act Review Nears Completion
Beyond the immediate problem of flight delays and cancellations, the NCAA and lawmakers are also considering changes to the legislative framework governing aviation.
The NCAA Director, Legal Services, Mrs. Mary Tufano-Eche, disclosed that the review of the Civil Aviation Act had reached its final stages with the Ministry of Justice.
She said the legislation would be further updated before being presented to the National Assembly.
The review could provide an opportunity to address regulatory gaps and ensure that the legal framework keeps pace with developments in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
For the House Committee, therefore, the familiarisation visit went beyond understanding the NCAA’s daily operations. It provided an opportunity to examine how legislation, regulation and enforcement can work together to improve the travelling experience.
The meeting ended with both institutions agreeing to sustain engagement on delegated legislation and regulatory reforms.
For passengers, the bigger test will be whether those reforms translate into fewer disruptions and better protection when problems occur.
The NCAA’s response suggests that increasing aircraft capacity and introducing cross-airline passenger protection could help contain the ripple effect. Ultimately, the goal is to prevent one aircraft going AOG from turning into a full day of flight delays and cancellations for passengers across several Nigerian cities.
