By Chimezie Godfrey
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has called on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), to improve security across the airports and curb violent attacks on airline staff and property.
The AON made the call in a statement signed by its President, Chairman, Azman Air, Alhaji Yunusa S. Abdulmunaf, and Vice President, Chairman, Air Peace, Barr. Allen Onyema.
According to the statement, the AON expressed serious concern over the trend of violent attacks on airline staff and facilities at the various airports by passengers over flight delays or cancellation.
The group equally expressed concern that these violent attacks have gone on unrestrained across major airports across major airports across the country and therefore, strongly and without equivocation, condemn them and call for immediate cessation.
“We feel the pain and frustration of travelers over delayed or cancelled flights due to the
disruptions such bring to their plans and make good to remind the travelling public that no airline operator deliberately delays or cancels flights because the aircraft is meant to be in the air and not on ground.
“Aircraft on ground, which is a huge loss to operators and impacts negatively on the economy of our dear country, is, however, mostly, for safety and so many reasons outside the control of operators. For this reason, AON has been at the front of seeking more effective ways to mitigate factors that cause flight delaysand huge economic losses to the country.
“However, we believe that the trend of violent attacks on airline staff and facilities have to stop. There have been instances where airline staff have been physically injured by passengers. Airline property running into millions of naira have also been destroyed by passengers.
“Those airline staff and facilities are not cause of flight delays. They are also human beings,fathers, mothers, sons,and daughters etc., working to earn a living and put food on the table for their families.
“Violent attacks on airline staff, occasioning physical harm, is not a civilized and matured way for passengers to register their disappointments over flight delays or cancellations. There are better ways to do this which are also spelt out by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in its manuals. Passengers can also pursue their rights through the Consumer Protection Council.
“We are also worried that these violent attacks and destruction of property at our airports go a long way to cause disruption of operations, insinuate lack of adequate security at the airports and further impugn the image of our dear country.
“We therefore use this medium to call on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), to improve security across the airports especially, as it relates to security of airline staff and property,” the group stressed.
The Airline Service Providers warned that they will no longer sit back and watch these violent attacks go on unrestrained.
“Passengers ought also to be informed that airline staff have rights and can use available legal means to enforce those rights and seek redress. Going forward, our members may have to explore this option as no one is permitted, by law, to take laws into their hands. We therefore call for immediate end this trend.
“We restate the commitment of our members to do all that is humanly possible to minimize
incidences of flight delays and cancellations and remain focused on on-time flight operations and strongly condemn further violent attacks on airline staff and facilities,” the group stated.
The statement was also endorsed by Alhaji Shehu Wada, Company Secretary, Max Air, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, Chairman, United Nigeria Airlines, Capt. Mfon Udom, MD/CEO, Ibom Air, Capt. Roy Ilegbodu, MD/CEO, Arik Air, Capt. Abdullahi Mahmood, MD/CEO, Aero Contractors, Alhaji Faisal Abdulmunaf, MD, Azman Air, Capt. Edward Boyo, MD/CEO, Overland Airways, Mr. Afolabi Babawande, MD/CEO, Green Africa, Mr. Sukh Mann, Deputy CEO, Dana Air, and Barr. Allen Onyema, Chairman, Air Peace
