Turkish
Airlines, on Friday night, complied with the federal government’s directive by
operating a bigger A330 aircraft into Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport,
Abuja.
The minister of aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika who confirmed the development took to his official twitter handle and wrote “Turkish Air operated A330 to Abuja today as against the small B737 in apparent response to our suspension order; we needed to get to this, Anyway…”
It would be recalled that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had in a letter marked NCAA/ DG/12/16/60 directed the airline to suspend its flights to Nigeria until the carrier deployed the right size of aircraft that could transport all passengers with their luggage at the same time.
The agency had, in the letter signed by its acting director general, Capt. Abdullahi Sidi, and addressed to the airline’s country manager, frowned at the baggage backlog that had persisted for weeks.
Sidi said the suspension will be sustained “if no remedial action is carried out by your airline.”
He said the incessant baggage delays caused crisis followed by mob actions as the airline arrives without 85 per cent of passengers’ baggage.
The letter said in part read: “The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) wishes to extend its compliments to Turkish Airlines and also express its serious displeasure about the recent cases of not bringing passengers into Nigeria together with their checked-in baggage.
“These incidents, which has been going on for two weeks, has become so bad that the most recent flight arrived without 85% of passengers’ baggage onboard. Our Airport Authority have been facing serious crises controlling the passengers at the airport whenever they arrive without their baggage (sic).
“This issue has made passengers to carry out several mob actions at our airport and it is a great threat to our airport facilities.
“In view of all these, and the series of meetings held with Turkish Airlines personnel, which did not yield any solution to the problem, the NCAA is therefore left with no option than to direct Turkish Airline to suspend its operations into Nigeria until such a time when the airline is ready to operate with the right size of aircraft that can transport all passengers with their baggage at the same time.
“If no remedial action is carried out by your airline this suspension shall be effective from the 16th December, 2019.”
Prior to the threat, the airline would flagrantly mete out shabby treatment to Nigerian travelers, most times flying into the country without checked-in luggage.
The development always raised security issues at the airport as affected passengers, would times without number, resort to protest.
Earlier in a statement, Sirika had said that no foreign airline operator would be allowed to treat Nigerian travellers with contempt.
He warned other airlines to take a cue from the experience of Turkish Airlines.
