The House of Representatives’ motion for airline operators to compensate passengers for flight cancellations and delays is a significant development.
In Nigeria, passengers already have some protection under the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCAR) and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA 2018).
Passenger Rights in Nigeria
• For flight cancellations, passengers are entitled to a refund within seven days.
• For domestic flights, passengers must be informed at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure to avoid compensation.
• For international flights, the notice period is seven days.
• Passengers are also entitled to refreshments after two hours and reimbursement after three hours for domestic flight delays.
Global Precedents
Other countries have implemented similar measures. For instance, the US Department of Transportation has issued a final rule requiring airlines to provide automatic refunds for canceled or significantly changed flights, significantly delayed checked bags, and extra services not provided.
This motion by the House of Representatives aims to strengthen passenger rights and hold airline operators accountable for flight disruptions.
