Dark and tall, with a beard trimmed to perfection, Group Captain Nnaemeka Badaru was the perfect embodiment of the Nigerian Air Force’s proud heritage.
Having just retired, he was eager to leave the Sam Ethnan Air Force Base in Oshodi, Lagos, for his luxurious home in Abuja, where a grand celebration awaited him, organized by his wife, Alhaja Zainab.
With a 1pm flight booked on an indigenous airline, Efizzy, Badaru was all set for his journey.
But a phone call to his wife in his soon-to-be-vacated quarters was interrupted by a notification that his flight had been delayed by four hours.
As if that wasn’t enough, two hours later, another message came through: the flight was cancelled.
“Wetin be this one like this? Food wasted. Homecoming disrupted. Unbelievable!” Badaru exclaimed, his frustration evident.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Badaru, his son and a student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, had also planned meticulously to be in Abuja for his father’s homecoming.
A week before the event, Jimmy booked a 9am flight from Enugu to Abuja. But on the day of the flight, just four hours before departure, he received a similar message from the airline:
“Dear esteemed passenger, We are truly sorry that your flight with us from Enugu to Abuja for today August 25, 2024, was cancelled due to operational reasons…”
Determined not to miss the celebration, Jimmy opted to travel by road.
However, his journey took a dark turn when the vehicle he boarded was attacked by kidnappers on the Enugu-Makurdi road, leaving the Badaru family in disarray.
The Unending Plague of Flight Disruptions
The fictional tale of the Badaru family mirrors the harsh reality that many Nigerian travellers face daily.
Flight disruptions have become a pervasive issue, wreaking havoc on travel plans and imposing additional costs on passengers.
The problem has escalated to an alarming level, becoming one of the biggest challenges for domestic travellers in the country.
Indigenous airlines, in particular, have earned a reputation for frequent delays and cancellations, forcing passengers to consider the risky alternative of road travel.
An investigation by Saturday Vanguard revealed that no Nigerian airline is immune to this practice, which has severely impacted socio-economic activities across the nation.
The exorbitant cost of airfares, compounded by these disruptions, has only added to the woes of Nigerian air travellers.
Disturbing Statistics and Economic Impact
Data from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and recent complaints from Nigerians paint a bleak picture of the state of air travel in the country.
Between January and December 2022, domestic airlines reported a staggering 47,144 delayed flights.
In February 2024, the NCAA disclosed that 53% of all flights operated in Nigeria in 2023 were delayed, while 1% were cancelled.
The economic implications of these disruptions are profound. According to Mr. Babatunde Adeniji, Executive Director of General Sales and Solution, an aviation consultancy firm, Nigeria loses over N24 billion annually due to flight disruptions.
Adeniji explained that these disruptions are a measure of economic inefficiencies, increasing production and business costs while denying the country the opportunity to deploy those resources more productively.
Causes and Blame Game
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) argue that many of these delays and cancellations result from factors beyond their control, such as weather, air traffic flow management, and other operational challenges.
AON’s Vice President, Dr. Allen Onyema, pointed to passenger behavior as a significant contributor to flight delays, citing a lack of understanding of airline operations among travellers.
However, Adeniji dismissed this notion, arguing that any misbehavior by passengers is often a response to earlier disruptions.
He urged airlines to foster a safe operating environment and called for a more transparent and standardized approach to reporting flight delays, as outlined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Transparency and Accountability
Olumide Ohunayo, Director of Zenith Consult and Travels, highlighted the need for greater transparency among domestic airlines, which often struggle to adjust their schedules and websites to reflect their actual capacity.
He criticized airlines for not reducing the number of flights and routes when their operational capacity diminishes, leading to concurrent delays and cancellations.
Ohunayo also pointed out that passengers rarely take advantage of the legal avenues available to address flight disruptions, instead resorting to complaints on social media.
He encouraged passengers to follow proper procedures, including filing complaints with the NCAA, which has the authority to intervene.
Looking ahead, Ohunayo expressed optimism that the new portal from the Consumer Protection Department of the NCAA, set to launch on September 19, 2024, would empower passengers to monitor airlines’ performance records and hold them accountable.
Punctuality Reports and the Need for Improvement
Adeniji emphasized the importance of punctuality reports in addressing flight delays.
He noted that the NCAA’s previous bi-annual summary reports lacked the rigor and detail needed for root cause analysis and improvement.
Adeniji called for a more comprehensive report that includes commissioned studies on the causes and costs of delays to airlines, passengers, and the broader economy.
He also urged the NCAA to hold all public and private service providers accountable and to implement a service level agreement (SLA) regime enforceable by all parties.
Adeniji stressed that the NCAA must lead the effort to improve on-time performance and ensure that passengers are properly cared for when delays occur.
In conclusion, the tale of the Badaru family serves as a stark reminder of the challenges facing Nigerian air travellers.
