Victor EzejaAirline Operators Of Nigeria (AON) have condemned the growing trend of violent attacks on airline staff and properties in airports across the country due to flight delays or cancellations.
The operators noted that they feel the pains and frustration of travellers over delayed or cancelled flights because of disruptions such occurrences cause in their schedule, but pointed out that no airline deliberately does that but for safety reasons.
AON made this known in a statement signed by its President and Chairman of Azman Air, Alhaji Yunusa Abdulmunaf, and Barr. Allen Onyema, Chairman, Air Peace, Vice President.
It said “The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has observed with serious concern, the trend of violent attacks on airline staff and facilities at the various airports by passengers over flight delays or cancellation.
“We are concerned that these violent attacks have gone on unrestrained across major airports across the country and therefore, strongly, and without equivocation, condemns them and call for immediate cessation.”
The operators stated that in as much as travellers are disapponted by delays and cancellation of flights, the airlines equally incure loss because aircrafts are not meant to be on ground but on air, adding that “AON has been at the front of seeking more effective ways to mitigate factors that cause flight delays and huge economic losses to the country.”
The association further said such unrestrained outburst by passengers resulting in physical harm on airline staff and properties as a way of expressing their grievances and disappointments over flight delays or cancellations is not a mature and civilised way of resolving the problem.
The operators appealed to passengers to exercise restraint and seek redress through appropriate channels as stipulated by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) or “can also pursue their rights through the Consumer Protection Council,” instead of resorting to attacking airline staff and properties.
“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. And 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.”
It also expressed worry that those violents attacks on airline staff and facilities have been going on unrestrained thereby sending out wrong signals about security at the airports.
“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.
“AON 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 of 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,” AON added.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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