The Minister of Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika, has said that no foreign airline operator will henceforth be allowed to treat Nigerian travelers with disdain. Sirika made the declaration on Saturday in Abuja in a statement signed by Mr. James Odaudu, the Director of Public Affairs in the ministry.
The minister further warned other airline operators to take a cue from the recent Turkish airline’s experience. “Following the threat by the nation’s aviation regulators to ban its operations in Nigeria, Turkish Airlines last night flew into Abuja with a bigger aircraft A330 as against the usual smaller B737.
“Officials of the airline, alarmed by the prospect of losing their Nigerian market, had rushed into a meeting with the Nigerian authorities to pledge total commitment, “ he said. The minister also noted that the organization had tried to comply with the conditions given to it in order to continue its operations in Nigeria,
According to him, Turkish airlines has been notorious for the shabby treatment of Nigerian travelers over time, especially when they have to arrive at their destinations without their checked-in luggage. He added that such behaviors by the airline had always given rise to security issues at the airports with protests by affected passengers. The minister, however, said the airline had now shown commitment to improving its treatment of Nigerian travelers by operating into the Nation’s capital with a bigger and more comfortable aircraft.
He noted that the situation did not need to arise in the first place with the Airline waiting for the strong-arm handling before doing the right thing. Sirika promised Nigerians better flying experiences as the nation’s aviation industry was set to undergo major developments in the coming years with the implementation of the stakeholder-developed roadmap.
