NCAA tackles Air Maroc over bad sanitation, missing baggages

His words: “Yes, it is true that we invited top officials of Royal Air Maroc to his office over complaint against the airline by passengers. If you recall, the Director-General had three days ago sanctioned the airline over serious allegation of poor sanitation on board its aircraft. They assured us by signing document on compliance”.

“Apart from poor sanitation, which led to smelling aircraft, occasioned by lack of water in the water closet to flush faeces, the airline is also guilty of abandoning passengers’ luggage behind, and our office is inundated with reports from them as Demuren has reiterated his resolve to protect passengers’ right. He has directed the airline to open office at the Lagos airport with effect from December 25, 2009. The NCAA has agreed to approve extra flight cargo flight to bring in outstanding baggage”.

Some of the passengers who spoke to The Guardian yesterday said that they have been hanging around in hotel, coming to Lagos to check for their ‘elusive’ baggage which they said is already taking a toll on them.

Their representative, who gave his name simply as Michael, however lauded the NCAA for its proactive measures taken to safeguard passengers’ right.

It would be recalled that Nigerian passengers and other travellers have complained about maltreatment by many of the foreign carriers, coupled with old equipment they allegedly deploy on Nigerian routes.

The Minister of Aviation, Babatunde Omotoba, had recently assured that his Ministry in conjunction with the NCAA would work to ensure that Nigerians are treated well by the airlines.

As a first step, the Minister had directed Delta Airlines and British Airways to change their aircraft to what he described as ‘new’, adding, ‘my Ministry will not tolerate maltreatment of our citizenry”.

To give bite to this, the minister recently upgraded the Consumer Protection Unit (CPU), a department in NCAA to a full directorate.