Photo caption: Air passengers
Air passengers are protesting incessant loss or delay in the arrival of their language in local and international airlines across the country’s airports in 2024.
A recently released executive summary by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority of both international and domestic operations showed that nothing less than 47,923 luggage belonging to air passengers were either declared missing or delayed on arrival in the year under review.
The summary also showed that despite the projection by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority that the passenger traffic volume would increase to 25.73 million by 2029, there was a decline from 15.8 million in 2023 to 15,655,273 by the end of 2024.
According to the report, about 26 of the 30 international airlines recorded 47,493 missing or delayed luggage within the period, while 10 out of the 15 domestic airlines recorded 430 missing or delayed baggage.
However, 43,569 of the missing or delayed luggage were later found, while the remaining 4,354 were not found by the airlines within the period as indicated by the report.
Among the international carriers, 43,140 bags were found, while the domestic airlines had 429 bags within the period, and only one was unaccounted for.
In January, security expert Ahmed Rabiu dragged Virgin Atlantic Airways before a Federal High Court in Lagos, requesting $4000 for his missing luggage and N20m in damages.
According to the court documents obtained by our correspondent, Rabiu checked in his luggage on Virgin Atlantic’s flight No. CNY3JV from London Heathrow to Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos on September 24, 2024, but could not find them on landing in Lagos.
Also, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, recently promised that the commission will take strict measures against airlines that delay passengers’ luggage or lose it.
The regulatory agency said it will impose fines of $170 and N10,000 on foreign and local airlines, respectively, for delayed passengers’ luggage as a first measure to guide against such an act.
In October in Abuja, the NCAA stated that passengers could claim up to $1,000 for missing luggage on domestic flights and $1,288 Special Drawing Rights for international flights.
Passengers react
A passenger at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Idris Olakunle, said airlines need to be professional by raising the bar to meet international best practices, adding that different airlines have caused him to lose belongings running into millions.
He lamented, “If an airline misplaced or lost your luggage, they will produce it within the shortest possible time, but in this place, airline behaviour will make you feel like someone must have stolen your luggage. There was a time I was angry to the point that I nearly explored legal options, but my wife stopped me.
“ Regulators should up their game so these airlines will sit up and stop being nonchalant with people’s luggage.”
Another traveller, Ms Adediran Williams, said she lost her gold, and the airline was behaving unconcerned, adding that she was convinced that it was stolen and not merely misplaced.
She explained, “That day I was going to London, and when I got to the airport in Lagos, I declared the cash on me as well as the gold. It was recorded right there at the airport, so how could they tell me the gold went missing? My gold was stolen, and there was nothing I didn’t do. As a matter of fact, I reported to the airport authority, but nothing was done at the end of the day.
“ Since that incident, I haven’t travelled with such valuables in my travelling bag. I keep them in my handbag. We all must rise to this occasion because how will they keep robbing us of our belongings? This is preposterous! I am angry.”
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