NCAA bans Turkish Airlines

 

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Thursday wielded the big stick against Turkish Airlines, directing the airline to suspend its operations into Nigeria.

NCAA said that Turkish Airlines would henceforth cease to operate, pending when it is ready to fly with the right size of aircraft that could transport all passengers with their baggage at the same time.

The directive was contained in a letter to the airline by the NCAA’s Acting Director General, Captain Abdullahi Sidi, on Wednesday, according to a THISDAY report.

Sidi, in a statement made available Thursday to journalists in Abuja by the Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Aviation, Mr. James Odaudu, said the NCAA expressed displeasure over the incidence, which it said had been going on for over two weeks.

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According to him, the incidence has become so bad that the most recent flights arrived without more than 85 per cent of passengers’ baggage on board.

“Our airport authority has been facing serious crises controlling the passengers at the airport whenever they arrive without their baggage. 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 a series of meetings held with the Turkish Airlines personnel, which did not yield any solution to this 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,” Sidi said.

He added that if no remedial action was carried out by the airline the suspension shall be effective from December 16.

Turkish Airlines operates to three destinations in Nigeria, using a mix of Boeing 737 and Airbus A330 aircraft. They are Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.

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