Negligence of airports and airlines breaches passengers’ consumer rights-NHRC

Kathmandu: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said the airlines’ negligence in timely taking off the flights and not informing the passengers about the delayed flight on time has breached the passengers’ consumer rights.

The human rights watchdog body has drawn a conclusion that it was sheer negligence on part of the airlines for the delayed flight service and subsequent trouble to the air passengers. The constitutional body came to this conclusion based on its onsite monitoring of the services being delivered by different airports across the country, including Tribhuvan International Airport.

In a preliminary study carried out by the NHRC’s federal and province offices during three months, the air passengers, most new mothers, patients, women, people with disability, senior citizens and those having emergency works have been bearing the brunt of the negligence of airports and airlines.

In regard to the consumers’ rights to travel without hassles, the NHRC is also planning to ask for information from the concerned airlines’ companies about the managerial measures taken to not allow delays in flights and make the stakeholders responsible to that end. Presenting the monitoring report at a discussion ‘flight service and citizens’ consumer rights’, NHRC’s Under-secretary Manju Khatiwada said the passengers have been facing trouble mainly due to failure in not timely and accurately imparting information.

As per the data generated from the onsite study of airports, passengers and airlines, the flight delay ranges from half an hour to eight hours and passengers are being troubled by the airlines’ ignorance in timely imparting the right information. The monitoring report has also pointed out that the passengers have been compelled to consume expensive and sub-standard foodstuffs on the airport premises while awaiting the flights for long.

The passengers have come across problems for not adequate basic facilities such as waiting for space, drinking water and restrooms. The passengers are mostly facing troubles in mountain and hill flights. On the occasion, NHRC Chairperson Tapa Bahadur Magar drew the attention of the concerned agencies and authorities towards protecting consuming rights and delivering public services in an effective manner.