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Aviation amendment bill passes second reading in House of Assembly

By on February 8, 2013

A bill amending the Civil Aviation Act of 2006 on Wednesday in Abuja passed its second reading in the House of Representatives. The bill seeks to prescribe penalties for delays and cancellation of flights by airlines.

Leading debate on the general principles of the bill, Rep. Femi Gbajabimila (ACN-Lagos), said that the bill would protect passengers from unnecessary delays and cancellations of their flights if passed.

He said that the bill would also ensure that certain penalties were prescribed for airlines that delay and cancel flights without stating reasons for their actions.

The lawmaker said that there was need to fill that lacuna, so that airlines begin to take responsibilities for their actions. According to him, there is no penalty for delay and cancellation of flights, adding: “we need to fill that lacuna to make the airlines seat up to know that you can no longer take the passengers for granted. This delay and cancellation of flights is something that we need to address as a house,’’ he said.

Rep. Patrick Ikhariale (PDP-Edo) aligned himself with the views of Gbajabimila that the airlines should be held responsible for any postponement of flights by “coughing out something,” he said.

 

[Daily Times]