The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has denied giving approval to another airline within the nation to promote non-refundable ticket to passengers.
The Common Supervisor, Shopper Safety of the company, Kalu Anaso, instructed THISDAY in an unique interview on Wednesday that NCAA doesn’t give approval to airways to promote non-refundable tickets to passengers.
The event, he stated, is on the discretion of the airways stressing that passengers have to be knowledgeable.
“If a passenger buys a ticket he ought to verify it to see when it has non-refundable. There are various kinds of tickets.
Some are refundable with taxes deducted, whereas some will refund you all the cash; so all tickets aren’t the identical however we didn’t give approval to any airline to promote non-refundable ticket. If there’s anybody that has such drawback deliver it to our discover in order that we all know the right way to intervene and settle it,” Anaso stated.
NCAA was reacting to the allegation by Azman Air that the company gave it approval to promote non-refundable tickets to passengers who weren’t finally airlifted by the airline to their locations.
Talking on behalf of the passengers, CEO of the Daniel younger Funding Restricted, Mr. Daniel Younger, instructed THISDAY that Azman Air had adopted it as a coverage to not refund tickets to passengers with out prior discover to the passengers that such tickets aren’t refundable.
Yound famous that checking the tickets of the airline; there have been no written indication that the tickets if not used the fare wouldn’t be refunded.
“Not too long ago a 16-year previous scholar of the Nigerian Defence Academy on Abuja-Kaduna flight was stranded as a result of after he was screened and allowed to board, the Aviation Safety of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), referred to as him again to verify one other factor in his baggage. The FAAN official knowledgeable Azman Air officers on the foot of the plane that the boy would come again to board his flight. However by the point the boy was allowed to come back and board the flight, the flight crew had closed the plane door and began taxing.
He spent over seven hours on the terminal. The airline refused to refund him and his dad and mom may solely increase N13, 000, which was lower than the fare. It was the next day {that a} Good Samaritan purchased him ticket for an additional airline. NCAA and FAAN officers had been very offended. In actual fact, FAAN officers took the On-Responsibility Card of the Azman Air station supervisor and he threatened to report back to the Chairman of the corporate, claiming that NCAA was conscious that the airline doesn’t refund passengers their fares,” Mr. Younger instructed THISDAY.
He stated that passengers have rights to info however how the flight reserving was made, noting that airways are obliged to offer passengers with a written discover, setting out the rights they’re entitled to incase their flights are delayed, cancelled or denied boarding, including that 95 per cent air passengers have no idea their rights.
“Azman Air is aware of that passengers have a proper to refund however have chosen to cover underneath layered subterfuge to rob them of their money. It’s legal to carry again individuals’s cash with out providing any type of reduction to them. Azman claims that NCAA permitted the coverage, and that appears very odd. It isn’t clear why NCAA ought to approve a distinct refund coverage for Azman Air towards what’s seen within the Civil Aviation Act.
“Passengers on Azman Air by no means get refunded regardless of the circumstance and NCAA is standing by with out doing something. In actual fact, client safety personnel are even afraid to problem them now as a result of they know that nothing will come out of it,” Younger stated.
Reacting to the controversy, the Chief Working Officer of TAL Helicopters, Femi Adeniji defined that some tickets are designated as non-refundable however passengers are often knowledgeable and there’s often time-line for such tickets.
“Sure, some tickets are non-refund however you might have 12 months to make use of the ticket. Does this occur right here? South West Airways, American Airways, United Airways concern very low-cost tickets that are non-refundable however when you want to use the ticket once more, you might be requested to pay the distinction in fares. This, I consider, just isn’t the case right here. Let the airways Azman Air, Aero Contractors come out and make clear this motion,” he stated.
THISDAY contacted the CEO of Azman Air, Muhammed Hadi Abdul Munaf, who neither picked his name nor responded to the message despatched to him via SMS.