Flights cancellations, delays: Why Keyamo’s compensation scheme may nit work – Stakeholders

Indications have emerged that the effectiveness of the compensation scheme for passengers proposed by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, may be in doubt.

This concern arises in light of the widespread absence of the Instrumental Landing System, ILS, in numerous airports across the country, rendering it impracticable to conduct flights beyond 6pm in adverse weather conditions. 

These are among the problems that hamper the operations of airlines which are beyond them. Some of the problems that cause flight delays emanate from facilities lacking in our airports and bad weather which is beyond the control of the airlines.

Report gathered that the ILS, a critical precision radio navigation system facilitating aircraft guidance during nighttime or inclement weather, is notably lacking in most airports in the country.

Stakeholders have disclosed that airlines bear only a three per cent responsibility for flight delays and cancellations nationwide, attributing the remaining 97 per cent to operational challenges beyond the airlines’ control.

It would be recalled that Keyamo had revealed plans to upgrade facilities at five international airports, raising questions about the neglect of the other 16 airports under the management of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN.

With Nigeria boasting 32 airports, 26 of which are operated by FAAN, and only five functioning as international airports, concerns persist over the limitations posed by the absence of ILS and other essential infrastructure, restricting airport operations to daylight hours. 

Keyamo during his appearance before the Joint National Assembly Committee on Aviation to defend his ministry’s budget for the 2024 fiscal year, disclosed that a weekly list of airlines responsible for delayed or cancelled flights would be published in the media as part of the compensation scheme.

Source : vanguard