NCAA Orders Arik Air To Pay Compensation To Disappointed Passengers

Posted by Wole Oduwole Aviation, Business News, Featured, Latest Headlines Tuesday, December 27th, 2016

By Niyi Adeyi

LAGOS, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – For failing to carry the luggage of its passengers from London to Lagos, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has slammed Arik Air with fine as compensation to the affected customers.
The fine was stated in a statement issued Tuesday in Lagos by the NCAA General Manager (Public Relations), Mr. Sam Adurogboye.

The statement issued by NCAA referred to a Letter of Sanction dated December 22, 2016, it wrote with reference no. NCAA/DG/CSLA/RM/1, stressing that Arik Air Limited has acted in violation of Part 19.7.2 and 19.17.2.1 (ii) of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs), 2015.

Consequently, it ordered the airline to pay $150 to each of the affected passengers as compensation for the inconvenience they experienced within 30 days of the letter.

The customers have complained of delay and failure to carry their Luggage from London to Lagos from December from 2, 3 to 4, 2016.

NCAA in the statement said: ‘’the carrier declined to offer care and compensation to the affected passengers which were unanimously agreed for $150. In addition, the airline did not inform the passengers at the soonest practicable time that their checked-in baggage would be off-loaded as required by Part 19.7.2 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs), 2015’’.

The agency restated that the airline also flouted its orders to freight all backlog of short-landed luggage to Lagos within 48 hours, which was given during a meeting which held December 6, 2016, and duly attended by the airlines’ representative.

Last week, staff of Arik embarked on strike, owing to non payment of seven month salaries. The development paralyzed activities of the airline in its Abuja and Lagos offices, leaving many passengers stranded.