Uche Usim, Abuja
Domestic airlines operating in Nigeria recorded 16,429 cases of delayed flights between January and June 2019 according to figures released by the Consumer Protection Department of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
A document issued by the department and made available to newsmenn on Thursday in Lagos, showed that 30,043 flights were operated by nine airlines during the period under review.
According to the document, 241 flights were cancelled for various reasons by the airlines.
Airlines in operation at the time of the report included Aero Contractors, Arik Air, Air Peace, Azman Air, Dana Air, Med-View, Overland, Max Air and Ibom Air.
The document said Air Peace, which operated 11,889 flights, topped the chart of delayed flights with 6,359 and 91 cancelled flights.
It added that Arik Air followed with 2,306 delayed flights and 41 cancellations out of its 5,378 flight operations.
According to the document, Aero operated 3,293 flights with 2,181 delayed and 36 cancelled flights while Azman Air recorded 1,312 delayed and 12 cancellations out of the 2,711 flights operated by the airline.
Also, Dana Air operated 2,278 flights with 1,477 delayed and 25 cancellations while Overland had 1,248 flights with 894 delayed and eight cancellations.
Max Air recorded 2,652 flights with 1,538 delayed and 19 cancellations ; Medview, 374 flights with 219 delayed and eight cancelled flights and new entrant, Ibom Air had 220 flights with 143 delayed and no cancelled flight.
However, the delays according to the airlines, were due to operational reasons, scarcity of aviation fuel as well as adverse weather conditions leading to low visibility at most of the airports.
Meanwhile, the Customs Area Controller Nigeria Customs Service Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘C’ Owerri, Comptroller Olusemire Kayode on Thursday revealed that his Command made several seizures valued at N501,650,025 from July 2019 till date. Seven suspects were also arrested in connection with the contraband.
He thus advised Nigerians to acquaint themselves with the country’s import and export prohibition list to avoid running foul of the law.
Kayode in a statement, cautioned prospective importers to confirm the status of any import or export as smugglers are losing millions of naira and forfeiting a lot of money to the Federal Government.
The seized items include; 3,433 bags of foreign rice, medicament, cars, second hand clothing, and used tyres. We also have an armoured Land Cruiser, Lexus 570 amongst others.
“Overtures have been made and incentives have been put in place to stop the nefarious activity of rice smuggling which directly impacts on the economy of the country. Despite all these we still discover that people are not ready to key in to government’s programme.
“It is quite unfortunate for them because no matter the way you come in, we are there to nip their activities in the bud; anywhere you pass through we will catch you no matter how clandestine the operate we will still get them…”