The primary cause of flight delays in Nigeria, alongside weather, VIP movements, and Aircraft on Ground (AOG), is passengers’ lack of understanding of the airline system. This leads to significant losses for airlines, exacerbated by passenger behaviour during cancellations.
Dr. Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace Limited, and Captain Ado Sanusi, Managing Director of Aero Contractors, highlighted these issues.
Onyema attributed flight delays mainly to unruly passenger behaviour, emphasising the need for passengers to adhere to international standards of rescheduling when flights are cancelled.
He explained that the convention worldwide is for passengers to reschedule to the next available date, rather than insisting on being flown first thing the next morning after a cancellation.
Furthermore, Onyema illustrated how disruptions caused by delayed flights have a cascading effect, affecting multiple flights over several days.
Sanusi supported Onyema’s statements, stating that airlines lose approximately N15 billion annually due to flight delays and cancellations.
He pointed out that cancellations not only result in direct revenue losses but also expose airlines to litigation from passengers and fraudulent activities by some airline staff.
Sanusi emphasized the importance of passengers understanding the aviation system and highlighted the need for improved airport infrastructure to mitigate flight delays.
