The Airline Operators of Nigeria, the umbrella body of all airline companies operating in Nigeria, has said it would ensure the arrest and prosecution of any aggrieved passenger who destroys airline property or assaults an airline staff.
AON also warned that it would black list such passengers and ban its members from rendering services to them.
Spokesman of the AON, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo said that “such legal action may come by way of criminal action or civil suit” in a statement on Friday.
Obiora who recalled a recent passengers’ attack on the property of
Dana Air urged those aggrieved to address their issues through appropriate legal channels.
Aggrieved passengers who were enraged by the cancellation of their flights due to the grounding of Dana Airline had attacked its property and personnel at the Domestic Wing of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.
He stressed that the destruction of airline property and attack on personnel is a criminal violation of the law and “not part of avenues sanctioned by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Competitions and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPA).
The statement reads, “The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) condemns, in very strong terms, the attack on the property of Dana Air by passengers whose scheduled flights were affected by the grounding of the airline for operational audit.
“Recall that Dana Air passengers on July 21, 2022, physically descended on, and damaged, the company’s property at the domestic wing of Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, over the unexpected and unintended cancellation of their flight in what is now a force majeure.
“Dana Air is currently undergoing an operational audit as ordered by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
“We understand that Dana Air, as a responsible member of this association, had activated its feedback mechanism to inform passengers of the development and the cancellation of their flight.
“However, it is uncivilized for passengers to take laws into their hands by destroying Dana Air property when there are approved mechanisms for redress.
“As an association, AON will no longer watch passengers destroy the property of its affiliate members without adequate response.
“Henceforth, AON shall activate all available legal avenues to ensure that passengers caught destroying property of her members are brought to book and made to pay for such destructions.
“Once again, AON reminds consumers of the services of her members that no law permits the destruction of company property, and, or, physical assault on Airline staff, as redress.
“We make bold to say that such actions will be pursued from both criminal and civil law perspectives and may also include blacklisting and travel ban on member airlines.
“We encourage aggrieved passengers to explore NCAA-approved avenues for redress, including options at Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPC), as the airline staff that is assaulted, and property that is damaged, cannot make up for whatever is the unintended consequence(s) of flight cancellations or delays.”