By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Flight operations of Turkish Airlines into Nigeria have been suspended by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) till further notice.
The agency, in a letter with reference number NCAA/ DG/12/16/60, said the company can resume duties until it acquires the right size of aircraft that would comfortably airlift both passengers and their luggage.
Turkish Airlines got into trouble with the Nigerian authorities as a result of cases of missing luggage of its passengers. It was gathered that most times, the company does not airlift both passengers and their belongings at the same time because of the small size of the planes.
Worried by several complaints from customers of the airline operator, the industry regulator asked the company to stop ferrying passengers into the country until a permanent solution found and implemented.
“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 (sic) been going on for two weeks, has (sic) become so bad that the most recent flight arrived without 85 percent of passengers’ baggage onboard.
“Our Airport Authority have (sic) been facing serious crises controlling the passengers at the airport whenever they arrive without their baggage,” a part of the statement signed by the acting Director-General of NCAA, Captain Abdullahi Sidi, said.
Continuing, it said, “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 Airlines 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 December 16, 2019.”
Aduragbemi Omiyale