Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation, has introduced a new initiative to enhance accountability for delayed or cancelled flights, aiming to regularly disclose a comprehensive list of airlines causing such inconveniences in the media as part of a compensation strategy.
During a media address, Keyamo emphasized the crucial role of transparency in keeping the public informed about airline performance. He urged regulators to furnish detailed information on the duration of delays and the actions taken against non-compliant airlines, expressing his concern by noting his interaction with the customer satisfaction commission.
Stressing the importance of weekly publications, Keyamo outlined the information to be included: details on cancelled and delayed flights, the duration of delays, compensation specifics, and regulatory actions against the airlines. The initiative is slated to commence in January.
As a component of the compensation strategy, Keyamo proposed a deduction from the flight tickets of airlines responsible for delays, suggesting a discount be applied to tickets purchased by affected passengers.
He stated, “For every delay, there is a report by the regulator. What did they do? Did they pay compensation? And if they didn’t pay compensation, we have said that the other way to get compensation if they can’t return cash is that once the passenger buys the next ticket, it must be given a rebate. The minister said that passengers must be given a 50% rebate or 40% rebate because there must be a rebate.”
Keyamo also underscored the necessity of private partnerships for the development of Nigerian airports, acknowledging a lack of funds for independent government initiatives. He emphasized that Public-Private Partnership is non-negotiable, asserting the need to prioritize what the country requires in concession arrangements.
