FG orders grounding of indebted airlines

THE Federal Government has ordered all international and domestic airlines indebted to any of the agencies in the aviation industry to be grounded.

The government is also taking steps to enforce compensation for passengers by the airlines for flight delays and cancelation.

Minister of Aviation, Mr Osita Chidoka, speaking on Monday, in Abuja, at the formal launch of Aviation Passengers Service Portal (APS) and call centre helpline-07000111111, said the period of owing the aviation industry was over.

Chidoka said he had directed that any airline that owed any of the aviation parastatals be grounded until the debt was paid.

He equally threatened to sanction any aviation agency that continues to provide services to airlines which have failed to pay their debt.

He said: “That is my directive. Any airline that owes any of the aviation parastatals would be grounded until it pays its debt. The period of owing the aviation industry is over.

“We are going to work out a payment plan for old debt, but going forward, we must collect all our revenues and the agencies must also keep tab of that. I will sanction any agency that continues to provide services to any airline that fails to pay its lawful debt,” he said.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that some of the airlines were indebted to some of the aviation agencies to the tune of billions of naira.

He said what the Federal Government was trying to do was to ensure that there was improvement in services to the air travellers.

Chidoka said the portal would enable the government and its agencies track the activities of the airlines and provide valuable information to the air travellers within and outside the country.

He said: “It is not enough to say that airlines are delayed, but we are going to make sure that after 15 minutes if an airline does not take off, it is considered delayed, but after an hour, passengers are entitled to some compensation.

“We are going to force the airline to pay compensation in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standard. After six hours, they are supposed to do something for you and after 12 hours, they are supposed to provide accommodation for you for the night. We are not going to allow them walk away.

Tribune