Following the destruction of some property of Dana Air, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), umbrella body of all airline companies operating in Nigeria, has said that aggrieved passengers who destroy the property of any airline or assault airline staff will be arrested and prosecuted.
Spokesman for AON Prof. Obiora Okonkwo made the announcement in a statement on Friday.
On Thursday, Dana Air passengers damaged the company’s property at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos over cancellation of their flight.
The incident followed announcement that the airline had been suspended over financial irregularities among others.
Okonkwo said that such passengers risk blacklisting and also banned from being transported by the members of the group.
The group said that such legal action might come by way of civil suit against passengers who chose to be unruly and uncivilised in their behaviours.
The AON said that air transport users who have issues with any operator have legally approved avenues to seek redress.
According to the group, destroying airline’s property and assaulting staff of Airline companies constitute criminal breaches and are not part of avenues recommended by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Competitions and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPA) to seek redress.
“We make bold to say that such actions will be pursued from both criminal and civil law perspectives and may also include blacklisting and imposing travel ban on such members of the public by the airlines,” the statement said.
“We encourage aggrieved passengers to explore NCAA’s approved avenues for redress, including options at Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPC) as the airline staff that were assaulted, and properties damaged, cannot make up for whatever is the unintended consequence(s) of flight cancellations or delays.”
