As a child i held the belief that people who went on trips using air transport were in a league of their own.. In fact, i used to believe that they were much more privileged to opt for air travel instead of going to their destinations by road. I had painted this sublime picture of air travel, where the passenger is king and is doted on by the cabin crew, air hostesses at your beck and call, comfortable seats, depending on how you love to fly, as well as wholesome snacks and some souvenirs from the flight. Till date, i still have not had the opportunity to fly anywhere, as even my short trips around the country have been done by road. i have always been fascinated about the idea of traveling by air though, and i couldn't help asking friends and family who have experienced it how they feel about air transportation in Nigeria.
Now, we know there are different carriers in the country, we have Arik Air, Aero Contractors, the recently grounded Air Nigeria, Dana Airlines, Overland Airlines, IRS Airlines and a few other local airlines in the country that shuttle between specific routes in the country. Now, most of these carriers operate flight schedules that are meant to cater to the somewhat high demand for air transportation as the preferred choice by commuters especially on long distance journeys. My questions to my friends and family who had on some occasions been passengers on some local flights by various carriers were mostly towards the area of hospitality. I was itching to know how comfortable people really are flying to their various destinations when the need arises. The retorts i got were far from encouraging, and i am really not looking forward to hopping on a plane soon.
A striking recurring complaint i encountered while asking questions was the fact that some carriers are notorious for delays. In more cases than one, there have been complaints about the lateness of these airlines especially when a flight has been scheduled for a particular time. There was one particularly pathetic case of a flight that was scheduled for 9am that did not take off till about 4pm in the afternoon. In this case, no serious explanation was given for the delay and passengers were made to tarry at the airport for the plane to even arrive before even thinking of embarking on the flight!. In such a case, one begins to wonder what these airlines really stand for especially in their approach to the treatment of passengers.
Another complaint was on the way planes are used by some airlines. It is sad to note that a single plane can b used to cover almost 4 round trips in a day to and fro local flights and not undergo any routine checks on landing. One person told me of a flight of his which had been delayed for almost 4 hours after the scheduled take off time, on the arrival of the plane, the pilot was said to have dropped the passengers from the previous trip, turned the plane around and "loaded" the new passengers aboard, and off he went!. This is not only sad, it is scary! The thought of embarking on a trip on a plane only to be ferried like am entering a "molue" is certainly not appealing.
I was equally shocked to hear that one would have to pay for refreshments on the flight too. A flight from Lagos to Abuja on a normal airline would cost between 20k-25k, depending on the carrier you patronize, and the flights take nothing more than 30mins in some cases, and yet with the not so quality treatment meted out on passengers by the airlines, one would still have to buy food!!!!, the thought is really annoying!. With all the stories i have heard about air travel in Nigeria, i wonder, whats the difference between boarding a plane from Lagos to Abuja and probably boarding a "God is Good" Motors bus on the same route? It would surprise you to know that some of these Road transport operators that ply interstate routes provide better services than the airlines who constantly woe unsuspecting passengers with their rather "sleazy" adverts.
In all this, one would wonder what hope there really is for the aviation sector in Nigeria. It is for this same reason, this ineptitude, and blatant disregard for the importance of comfortable air travel, that international carriers are able to milk hardworking Nigerians of their hard earned money when they decide to board international airlines to travel overseas. I think the government should really look into the aviation sector, i wonder if our President or any of his staff can actually travel on a local airline in economy....(i doubt this). Maybe they can not because the service in that section is nothing to write home about. Something needs to be done to stop these rather shameful experiences some people go through all in the bid to travel "safely".
P.S: If you read this article and have any comments on your experience flying on any local airlines in Nigeria, please feel free to drop a comment. Thanks....
Minerva
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