Passengers entitled to food, accommodation during flight delays – FCCPC

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has reiterated that airline passengers are entitled to care, including refreshments, communication support and, in some cases, accommodation, when flights are delayed or cancelled.

Speaking on The Morning Brief on Channels Tv on Tuesday, the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, said the provisions are part of consumer protection obligations expected of airlines.

“If your flight is delayed, you are supposed to be given refreshments. After some more hours of delay, you are supposed to be given airtime,” he said.

“From what we understand from the books and the law, you are supposed to be given airtime because you could be seen to be at least in distress. So you will be required to be assisted to that extent.”

He stressed that the level of care owed to passengers increases with the duration and severity of the disruption, noting that airlines are expected to act reasonably in supporting stranded travellers.

According to him, situations involving abrupt cancellations after long waiting periods may require additional support, including transport and accommodation.

“When it gets to cancelling the flight abruptly, and you had kept consumers all through that time, it is required even outside of the law,” he said.

“Even if you were in other climes, you could tell that in such a situation, transport will be provided because the airport is quite far from the town or city.”

“Apart from that, accommodation could be provided in certain instances. So, given the exact situation, we could just put this side by side with what has happened to determine what should have been given and what has been denied.”

Ijagwu also noted that each case is assessed based on its specific circumstances, including how long passengers were delayed and the actions taken by the airline.

The FCCPC’s position comes amid rising complaints by travellers over repeated delays, rescheduling and cancellations across Nigerian airports.

At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, passengers were recently left stranded after airlines repeatedly rescheduled flights without providing transport or overnight accommodation.

The situation has been linked to the rising cost and scarcity of Jet A1 aviation fuel, which has significantly affected airline operations.

The Airline Operators of Nigeria had earlier warned of a possible shutdown, stating that the price of aviation fuel had surged from about ₦900 per litre to over ₦3,300 within weeks.

In response, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, indicated that an increase in airfares may be inevitable to keep domestic airlines afloat.

Airline operators have maintained that current revenues are no longer sufficient to cover operational costs, particularly fuel, warning that the pressure could disrupt services if not addressed.