Adverse weather: Why passengers should exercise restraints

Recently, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) alerted the flying public including airlines to the presence of harmattan season and the hardships attached to the season.

The circular forewarned all operators on the inherent danger associated with harmattan dust haze as regards flight operations at this time of the year.

“Therefore, the prevailing weather condition is likely to herald a long and severe dust haze in the months ahead. During this period, air-to-ground visibility may be considerably reduced due to the dust haze.

“In addition, aerodrome visibility may fall below the prescribed minima due to the severe conditions. Dust haze can blot runways, the markings and airfield lightings over wide areas. These make visual navigation extremely difficult or impossible.”

While explaining that under these kinds of adverse conditions that air travel was bound to suffer delays and cancellations, the NCAA therefore advised passengers in particular to exercise restraint when their travels suffer these fates saying “Plots are merely observing what is contained in the departure, en route and destination weather which might sometimes necessitate outright cancellation.When these happen, the Airline and the Pilots are strictly adhering to the Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs).”

As good as air transport is, challenges like weather hazard are phenomenon bound to happen and when it happens no one can question or go against it, since it is a natural phenomenon.

As it is on record that many past fatal crashes have been traced to bad weather, it is therefore, critical for all stakeholders to be up to their responsibilities in ensuring innocent lives are not lost on the platform of bad weather.

Therefore, there is the need for passengers at this time around to understand and exercise absolute restraints when flights are delayed or even cancelled due to poor weather.

The need to make this appeal came in view of the recent attitude put up by some passengers who experienced flight delay on board a Medview Airline flight.

There is the need for passengers to exercise absolute patience this time the weather is unstable for the purpose of preserving lives.

The country’s aviation sector has recorded zero accident going to two years now and it will be painful if any accident is forced to occur based on violation of the weather minimal rules through pressures from passengers.

While the NCAA deserves to be commended for being proactive through the circular issued on the bad weather, it should still not rest on its oars by ensuring it monitors flight operations closely especially when the visibility is very low.

Besides, there is the need for the regulatory body to also through its consumer protection unit continue to enlighten the traveling public on the need to realise that the weather can not be predicted every time hence, should always, take precaution when flights are delayed based on bad weather.

Because air transport is far different from road transport where you are at liberty to pack your car or change your direction, reverse is the case with air transport where once an aircraft is airborne and faces weather crisis, it takes the grave of God for it and the passengers onboard to live and tell the story.

Without any doubt, air transport is still the safest and fastest mode of transport despite  its own challenges, but passengers should avoid taking things for granted when there are unavoidable challenges like bad weather.

As long as there is air transport, the issue of weather hazards will always occur, but once this happens there is the need for transparent communications amongst all stakeholders including the airline, the regulatory agencies and the passengers.

Once there is good communications, the issue of any passenger mounting pressure will be avoided or any passenger displaying any unrepentant character should be refunded its fare and allowed to find an alternative.