NCAA spokesperson Michael Achimugu says many passengers miss critical flight updates because travel agents often use their own contact details during ticket bookings.
Air passengers are increasingly arriving at airports unaware that their flights have been delayed, rescheduled or cancelled, a situation the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says is being worsened by poor communication between travel agents and travellers.
According to him, many complaints received by the regulator involve passengers who booked tickets through third-party agents but failed to receive important updates directly from airlines.
Mr Achimugu said many travel agents use their own phone numbers and email addresses during bookings, leaving passengers dependent on them for information on delays, cancellations, and schedule changes.
In recent months, both domestic and international passengers have repeatedly complained about arriving at airports only to discover that their flights had either been cancelled or rescheduled without their knowledge, leaving many stranded for hours.
One such incident occurred on 27 April, involving passengers travelling aboard Ethiopian Airlines through Abuja to destinations including India.
Some of the affected passengers told PREMIUM TIMES that they travelled long distances for their international departures only to discover at the airport that the flights had been disrupted.
Several passengers said they never received any prior notification because their tickets were booked through travel agents.
One of the passengers, who identified himself as Yusuf Muhammad, said they depended entirely on their agents for updates from the airline.
According to him, the agents later claimed they had not received any information about the disruption.
The incident reportedly left several passengers stranded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, with some forced to spend the night at the terminal before arranging alternative travel plans the next day.
Reacting to the growing complaints, Mr Achimugu urged passengers to insist that their personal phone numbers and email addresses are used whenever tickets are booked through third parties.
“For the umpteenth time, I feel the need to say this. If you are booking your flight tickets through a third party, like a travel agent, please insist that they fill in your own phone number, or at least your email, when booking your ticket,” he said.
He added that, “The reason is because in our experience at the NCAA Consumer Protection Department, most of the cases of missed flights that have been recorded are because third-party passengers were not informed by their agents when they received notifications for delays, schedule changes and cancellations.”
He also advised passengers to check their emails and text messages regularly before travelling.
“A lot of passengers have received emails and still went ahead to the airport for disruptions which they received notification for, only to discover later that they had received such notifications earlier,” he added.
The NCAA spokesperson further encouraged passengers to patronise registered travel agencies affiliated with the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), noting that such agencies can be held accountable for negligence.
“I would encourage you, from the NCAA perspective, to do business with travel agencies who are members of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies ( NANTA),” he said.
Mr Achimugu said the increasing number of complaints linked to poor communication between airlines, agents and passengers highlights the need for travellers to take greater responsibility for monitoring travel information directly from airlines.
