“Passengers stranded for 11 hours” — Sowore slams Airline, NCAA
Presidential Candidate Criticizes Flight Delays, Calls for Improved Oversight
Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has criticized domestic airline operators and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for the treatment of passengers facing prolonged flight delays at airports across Nigeria.
Sowore’s statements followed an encounter with travelers scheduled to depart from Lagos to Owerri on United Nigeria Airlines, where passengers reported significant delays. Some individuals were left stranded for over 11 hours without receiving adequate information or assistance from the airline.
In a statement on his official page, Sowore recounted his experience with affected passengers, emphasizing their abandonment at the airport during a day-long wait. He noted that the airline repeatedly pushed back the departure without offering clear explanations or necessary support.
“Yesterday, I met several passengers scheduled to travel from Lagos to Owerri on United Nigeria Airlines. They had been abandoned to their fate after spending the entire day at the airport,” Sowore said.
He expressed concerns that this incident reflects larger issues related to customer service and regulatory oversight within Nigeria’s aviation sector. Sowore asserted that the NCAA has not effectively addressed ongoing problems regarding passenger treatment by domestic airlines.
“Although we had a cordial interaction, that does not prevent us from once again stating the obvious: Nigeria’s aviation regulators, especially the NCAA, have failed in their responsibility to rein in the irresponsible conduct of domestic airlines,” he stated.
Sowore further claimed that frequent flight delays have become a norm for some airlines, and communication with passengers remains deficient.
“What is even more disturbing is that many of these airlines simply do not care. Delays have become routine, poor communication has become standard practice, and passengers are treated as though their time, comfort, and dignity have no value,” he added.
