Increase airline counters to stop flight delays

Flight delays and cancellations may occur throughout the holiday season if nothing is done to solve the infrastructure gap, especially at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, according to the Airline Operators of Nigeria.Information Guide Nigeria

Allen Onyema, chairman of the AON, urged for discrepancies to be addressed as they contribute to the reasons of delays during the introduction of the book ‘Air Transportation In Nigeria: The Lingering Expectations’ at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority Annex.

Onyema stated that even in the case of overseas operations, Nigerian airlines are allowed only three counters to work from, while foreign airlines are granted a vast expanse of space, which is a disservice to Nigerians attempting to succeed in a difficult situation.

He remarked that airlines were not completely responsible for delays because people who were meant to give infrastructure and assistance to airlines were busy demarketing them.

Onyema said, “In aviation, there is no half and half, we are prepared. Yuletide season or not, we are prepared but we need to have the infrastructure to make it happen. In a situation where that is lacking then there are going to be problems.NYSC portal

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“Airlines are prepared, they have the means. Most airlines are using two planes and the NCAA is alive to its duties of regulating us properly, safety is assured that I can tell you. The issue of seamless operations is out of our hands. The airport authority must have some questions to answer too.”JAMB portal

On what airlines had done to notify the authorities of this anomaly, he added, “We have written to FAAN; in fact, the AON has written to both the ministry and FAAN regarding the Abuja check-in facility. There are nine or 10 airlines in a rather small area, which is hardly encouraging.

“However, a few days ago, the MD of FAAN spoke to me and said they were going to do something about it. What we are asking for is expansion. The old international terminal (Abuja) is lying fallow.

“Airlines, some of us should go there so we have enough counters for check-in. Not when they give you two counters and you’re checking in thousands of people, delays will surely come, and I tell the flying public to stop blaming the airlines for delays.JAMB Result

“10 airlines in one cubicle in Abuja is unacceptable, cramping the airlines without facilities. The airlines are not responsible for all the delays on routes flown.”