The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has vowed to sanction Turkish Airlines over the alleged maltreatment of about 300 passengers in Nigeria.
NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, disclosed this on Wednesday in Lagos, saying the regulatory agency was contemplating rolling out stiff penalties against Turkish Airlines for keeping Nigerian passengers stranded at the airport, following its delay to airlift them to Istanbul in Turkey.
He noted that President Bola Tinubu had already directed the NCAA, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and all other relevant Aviation agencies to ensure that the rights of Nigerians were always protected.
He maintained that federal agencies would not fail to call any defaulting airline to order.
“President Bola Tinubu has directed the NCAA, FAAN and relevant agencies to ensure that the rights of Nigerian passengers are protected.
“This behaviour to the NCAA is unacceptable. At the end of our findings, if the airline is found culpable, we will invoke the relevant parts of our regulation, Part 17 to mete out the right punishment,” he stated.
Achimugu, who visited the stranded passengers at the airport Wednesday evening, confirmed that over 300 passengers were stranded because of the airlines, which had cancelled its flights in and out of the country until Thursday.
He, however, assured that the Authority would not rest until the passengers were conveyed to their destinations.
“The NCAA is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the inability of Turkish Airlines to operate flights out of Lagos Airport, due to the picketing of its operations by aviation unions.
“We will ensure that the rights of Nigerian passengers are not violated.
“Currently, the NCAA is engaging officials of Turkish Airlines, but we have observed some degree of insolence of the Country Manager, who engaged our D-G in a shouting match, he was even banging the table,” he said.
One of the passengers, Sweden-based Obiekwe Ngozi Chukwu lamented the delay, saying that he only came to the country for his mother’s burial and was at the risk of losing his job if he fails to resume immediately.
He begged the Nigerian authorities to intervene and save the passengers from “this experience.”
