Air passengers are entitled to compensation for flight cancellations, delays, etc

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says air passengers are entitled to compensation from airlines for flight cancellations. Ify Megwa, NCAA’s Acting Director, Consumers Protection Directorate, made the announcement in an interview in Abuja on Tuesday.

She said the agency was creating awareness among the public on their rights to compensation for flight cancellations, delays, damage or loss of baggage and denied boarding for reasons other than technical problems and weather.

``A passenger has the right to choose the airline he/she wants to travel with under good environment and access to information on the flight, the security and the safety of the flight.

``When your flight is cancelled by any airline either foreign or local, you deserve some compensation. In Europe; it depends on the distance while in Nigeria, it is based on the percentage of your ticket. Before a flight is cancelled, you must be duly informed. For international flights, it is within seven days while local is 24 hours, except if the cancellation is due to situations beyond the control of the airline,’’ Megwa said.

She said that in such situations, the airline must be able to re-route the passenger on the next available flight to the passenger’s destination, adding that the passenger was also entitled to be checked into a standard hotel, pending the next flight.