NCAA gives airlines one week to add special needs option on ticket booking platforms

By Abubakar Yunusa

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed domestic airlines to incorporate a special needs option in their ticket booking systems for passengers with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility (PRM).
Michael Achimugu, spokesperson for the NCAA, said in a statement over the weekend ,said that airlines must add a mandatory special needs or assistance request feature to their reservation systems within one week.
Achimugu said the request option would enable passengers to seek assistance before completing the ticket purchase process.
“The Authority recalls its earlier correspondence with Reference No. NCAA/CPD/585/1/22 dated 13 April 2022, which directed all domestic airlines to conspicuously place on their online ticket reservation platforms a mandatory field, box, or column through which passengers may request assistance or give advance notice of special needs prior to ticket purchase,” the statement reads.
“This requirement is further reinforced by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) 2023, Part 19.12.3.1, which mandates that during reservation, airlines, travel agents, and tour operators shall:
“Provide travellers the opportunity to request assistance at the point of booking across all ticket sales channels, including online platforms and telephone reservations;
“Mandatorily include on ticket portals a designated field or column through which persons with disabilities or their assistants may request special needs assistance while booking or purchasing flight tickets;
“Actively enquire whether any passenger within a booking party may require assistance at the airport and/or during flight operations.”
Achimugu added that non-compliance may attract regulatory enforcement in line with applicable aviation regulations.