By LAWANI MIKAIRU

DiscoveryAir Airline has said that   the  affected passengers on cancelled December 24th and 25th flights will be given a refund and 25 percent rebate on subsequent trips with the airline. This is coming as the management of the airline also said their suspension from flight operations by Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA,   is not due to any technical problems in the operation of the airline, but due to flight delays and cancellation during last Christmas festive period.

This position was made known by Mr Babatunde Babalola, Chairman of Discovery Airline, while addressing aviation reporters in Lagos. According to him, “ the airline’s Air Operators Certificate, AOC, was suspended due to flight delays and cancellations it experienced during last festive period.”

It will be recalled that Discovery Airways was last Tuesday suspended from operating any flight as its Air Operator’s Certificate, AOC, was suspended by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA. This suspension would be in force pending the outcome of a comprehensive review of the Airlines operations to be carried out by NCAA.

According to Babalola “We are addressing issues raised by NCAA. We have got in touch with the passengers based on what the regulation says. Principally, we have to deal with the customers who were not satisfied with our operations during the Christmas period.

“There are some passengers that complained to NCAA directly; some complained to us while some complained to their lawyers. We have engaged the ones who complained to us directly and gave them form to fill and put their account details; and we are going to refund their money and pay them 25 per cent rebate for subsequent trip as stipulated by the regulation”

He added that passengers would still patronize the airline when it re-commences operations. “For those passengers that recognize our brand, they know the brand they fly. I can tell you some people have been loyal to us and they still want to patronize us. I don’t see any reason people will not fly Discovery Air again. They know what we are made of. They know who we are. Discovery Air is a growing airline and we will get to where we want,” he said.