In a recent announcement on Tuesday, Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, revealed that airlines would begin compensating passengers for delayed or canceled flights starting from January 2024. Keyamo made this disclosure during a session with the Joint National Assembly Committee on Aviation, defending his ministry’s budget for the fiscal year 2024.

As part of the compensation initiative, Keyamo disclosed plans to regularly publish a comprehensive list of airlines responsible for flight delays or cancellations in the media. Emphasizing the importance of transparency, he highlighted the need to inform the public about airline performance, including details such as the duration of delays and actions taken by regulators.

During the session, Keyamo expressed his concern for customer satisfaction and stressed the urgency of addressing issues related to the treatment of Nigerians by airlines. He urged for weekly publication of the list of airlines that fail to adhere to flight schedules, along with information on delayed and canceled flights, compensation details, and regulatory actions taken against these airlines.

In terms of compensation, Keyamo proposed a deduction from the flight tickets of airlines responsible for delays. He suggested applying a discount to tickets purchased by passengers affected by delays or cancellations. According to Keyamo, this approach would ensure that passengers receive a 50% or 40% rebate when purchasing their next ticket.

Additionally, the minister highlighted the necessity of public-private partnerships for the development of Nigerian airports due to the lack of funds for independent government initiatives. Keyamo emphasized that a Public-Private Partnership is non-negotiable, stating that concessions should focus on what the nation needs rather than what the people want. He urged stakeholders to collaborate in seeking the best hands and tier one investors to contribute to the development of Nigeria’s gateways.

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