The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has hinted that passengers could experience some flight delays at the Abuja airport, today, December 11, 2024.
Michael Achimugu, NCAA Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, who shared the information via his official X account on Wednesday, cited the reason for the possible flight delays to be an incident that occurred on the runway of the airport.
Achimugu, however, did not disclose what the incident that occurred on the runway of the Abuja airport was.
“Due to an incident on the runway of the Abuja airport, passengers may experience some delays with flights today,” a part of the tweet read.
The NCAA Director’s tweet further urged passengers who may be affected by the development to be patient and orderly.
Details of the Abuja runway incident
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has provided information on the runway incident at the Abuja airport.
- In a statement signed by FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, on Wednesday, the runway incident involved an Allied Air cargo aircraft, with registration number 5N-JRT.
- According to the statement, the aircraft, at around 10:05 am on Wednesday, suffered a tyre burst upon landing at Runway 22 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, which caused it to skid off the runway.
- Fortunately, all five people on board the aircraft at the point of the runway incursion were safely evacuated by relevant authorities.
As a result of the incident, FAAN temporarily suspended operations on the runway until further notice.
What you should know
Flight delays and cancellations are among the major challenges that passengers of air travel face in Nigeria.
- The reasons for delays and cancellations of flights range from causes beyond control such as weather, fault with aircraft, or an airline lacking the capacity to meet its obligations due to lack of enough aircraft due to some aircraft undergoing repairs.
- These delays and cancellations of flights in Nigeria have become quite severe and more frequent, however, NCAA, the regulators of airlines, have made efforts to ensure that airlines make refunds to passengers in such events.
- While there are success stories of refunds, many travelers using local airlines for domestic flights have complained about delays in refunds for canceled flights.
- To this end, the NCAA has moved to ensure that these refunds are done within the stipulated timeframe. On December 10, 2024, the NCAA demanded that airlines refund cash payments immediately in cash and electronic payments within 14 days.
While the refunds may not fully cover the extra transportation expenses, missed appointments, loss of revenue and emotional distress passengers may face, it provides some succor.