Why NCAA should be tougher on baggage pilfering or loss

There are so many processes that make a successful journey. In other words, air traveller in particular flying from point A to point B cannot describe the journey even to  the final destination as successful until other components of the journey including the safe arrival of his/her baggage has been achieved.

It means a passenger cannot say his/her flight is complete if his/her luggage is not yet in his/her possession.

Pilfering or baggage loss is not peculiar to the Nigerian airports or airlines but a global issue. Sadly, the level of conspiracy by the relevant workers of the various agencies working at this critical area of baggage reclaim on arrival at any of the country’s airports particularly the international airports is alarming in view of complains from passengers.

Only recently, a female passenger who boarded an African airline from Newark/Lome/Lagos was left with bad experience of arriving Lagos airport without any of her luggage.

Because of the valuable things inside those loads including the ones she was asked to help deliver to family members, she almost developed high blood pressure.

To worsen the situation for her, the airline that flew her into Lagos and the handling company that handled the particular flight rather than encourage her, tossed her around to avoid taking responsibility for the mess.

After a lot of subjection to psychological torture, her luggage finally arrived three days after but badly torn by the combine team of the workers of the relevant agencies who were the ones on duty at the baggage reclaim point when the flight arrived.

Therefore, it is no more strange when you see passengers on arrival at any of the airports particularly those on international flights fidgeting around the baggage carousel waiting anxiously for their baggage.

At the point of waiting at the arrival hall for your baggage, many passengers are often seen starring helplessly as the conveyor belt rolls in the heaps of luggage in anticipation of sighting and claiming their baggage.

Unfortunately, many have had their hope dashed at this critical point as their luggage either failed to arrive or at times got pilfered with valuables removed mysteriously.

The workers who operate as a syndicate and  target fanciful travel bags or any bag they suspect, stylishly detain such a bag under the guise of screening only to use sharp objects like razor, scissors or knives to rip it open and steal valuable items therein.

When a passenger’s luggage fails to arrive or such is pilfered, different thoughts began to run through the mind of the passenger which include: why the airline should have misplaced her luggage or allow it pilfered and who should be held responsible

It is no longer news that it takes the combine efforts of the staff of the airlines, the staff of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and those of the handling companies to facilitate the safe arrival of luggage from the point of arrival to the baggage reclaim area.

Sadly, thousands of passengers have terrible stories to tell in view of the illegal activities perpetrated by these people whose action is largely responsible for either stories of baggage loss or pilfering.

According to passengers’ right, “if your bag or its contents arrive in damaged condition, you can usually get compensation for repair or replacement from the airline. Be aware that fragile items or those that the airline deems were not packaged carefully enough may not be excluded.

“Check before leaving the terminal and if you discover any pilfering, you report to the airline immediately. But if you wait till you get home, nobody will take responsibility for that. Passengers need to know that nobody is responsible for them anymore when they leave the airport.”

The question on the lips of so many particularly those who have fallen prey to the menace include the role of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), FAAN, the airlines and the ground handling companies regarding the pedigree of the workers manning the baggage reclaim areas including the ramp and air side.

The time has therefore come for the NCAA’ s consumer protection directorate to be more proactive by beaming searchlight on the activities of the workers at this sensitive points who use their position to rob passengers under the guise of screening luggage for illegal items.

Many of the workers are nothing but cheap robbers who use their presence at the important areas to commit crime. Therefore a well spelt out compensation should be set aside for affected passengers by the regulatory body.

In doing this, all the agencies including the airlines must be made to pay heavily for any luggage pilfered or lost.