Azman Air has failed to make a refund of N330,000 to Mrs. Fauziya Aliyu Usman, and her four children over a cancelled flight seven months ago.
The airline is ‘owing’ Fauziya and her family the sum of N330,000 for five booked tickets of a Lagos-Gombe flight from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, in Lagos State which was later cancelled by the airline at a short notice.
Daylight Reporters gathered that Fauziya, through her husband, Mr. Nurudeen Usman; had on November 17, 2022 booked an Azman flight for herself and four children;Usman Nurudeen Usman, Khadija Nurudeen Usman, Aliyu Nurudeen Usman, and Bilal Nurudeen Usman) to travel to Gombe on Saturday, December 10, 2022.
She had planned traveling early to prepare for her younger sister’s marriage, which took place in mid December, last year.
However, according to Fauziyya’s husband, Usman, only a day to their departure on Friday, December 9, 2022, Azman Air notified them of their flight’s cancellation.
According to him, the management of Azman is not forthcoming on refunding the cost of his wife and children’s tickets, since last December.
Usman, 44, who once battled Azman Air over ticket refund, alleged that the airline is not ‘serious’ about settling them, after giving him and a male relation of his wife who has been assisting his family process the tickets’ refund fake assurances.
Usman recalled that the airline is notorious for cancelling flights at the eleventh hour, and refusing to refund their passengers.
He said: “On 17th November 2022, I made a booking reservation for my family to fly Azman Air from Lagos to Gombe on 10th December 2022. I was issued an e-ticket Receipt and itinerary with booking reference AFF5XA.
“But on the eve of my family’s departure, less than 24 hours to take off, I received a text from Azman saying that their flight ZQ2322 Lagos to Gombe on December 10, 2022, has been cancelled, with no explanation for possible alternatives.
“With the sudden disruption of my family’s travel plan, coupled with the spiked air traffic of December, I had to scamper for resources to book an alternative flight for my family through Air Peace this time, from Lagos to Kano, and link up to Gombe through a chartered vehicle at exorbitant cost.
“Days after the incident, my wife, in line with the standard Aviation Practice, filled in the Ticket Refund form of Azman, attached necessary documents and submitted the form at the airline’s desk at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. But we have not heard anything again from Azman”.
Daylight Reporter’s correspondent’s investigation revealed that Azman’s Airline Terms and Conditions, particularly its Refund Policy stipulates that refunds should not exceed the maximum of four weeks, contrary to the NCAA 2005 Consumer Protection Regulation, which stipulates immediate ticket refund for domestic passengers.
But after waiting in vain with no help coming his way, this newspaper learnt, that Usman filed a complaint form on 15th February 2023 and submitted it to the Consumer Protection Directorate of the NCAA in Abuja.
Daylight Reporter also obtained a copy of the ‘REQUEST FOR TICKET REFUND: PRE-ACTION NOTICE’ written on behalf of Mr. Usman’s family by a legal firm, Tanko Beji & Co., dated 8th April 2023, which was forwarded to the Customer Service Manager of Azman Air Service Limited in Kano State.
Part of the notice reads: “We hereby on our client’s mandate request for immediate refund of the sum of the cancelled ticket, in addition we demand compensation in the sum of N5,000,000.00 to address unreasonable hardship our client and his family suffered as a result of the cancellation and unreasonable delay by your Airline, in making refund.
“Please consider this instant letter as a PRE-ACTION NOTICE as we have our client’s mandate to perfect his instruction in a COURT of LAW, if you fail to remedy our client’s situation within 21 days. It is our hope that this issue would be resolved amicably”.
Usman, who resides in Lagos, observed that it is unfortunate Azman, has for over seven months now, failed to do the needful, despite the intervention of one Mr. Stephen, a Consumer Protection Officer of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, in Abuja.
He said, “The issue I am having with Azman Air is not the first the airline is having with its passengers. This has become more like their attitude and character. The airline is fond of treating their passengers shabbily. They once refused to pay me a refund for a flight they cancelled, until after three months. I will pursue this issue I am now having with them, to any length. I won’t allow Azman to get away this time around. Enough is enough”.
The Lagos-based civil servant confessed to Daylight Reporter that he and his wife have been traumatized as a result of the “deliberate attempt by Azman Air to ‘pocket’ their tickets’ refund money”.
Daylight Reporters had made efforts to reach Azman Airline Customer Service Manager in Kano, for comment on the plight of Mr. Usman’s family but to no avail.
However, a staff of the airline at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport assured that the refund of the Usmans’ cancelled flight will soon be made.
The Azman Air staff, who asked not to be named, while speaking to Daylight Reporters said,”You know there is a process which complainants’ must follow to get their tickets’ refund. Maybe, their complaint was not made to the necessary quarters, hence the delay in settling them”.
