Anietie Udobit,Abuja
Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed Turkish
Airlines to stop its operations into Nigeria until the airline is ready to
operate into the country with the right aircraft size and bring passengers into
the country together with their checked-in baggage.
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The NCAA in a letter NCAA/ DG/12/16/60 directed to the
airline’s Country Manager December 11, 2019 signed by the Acting Director
General, Captain Abdullahi Sidi lamented baggage backlog which has been ongoing
for two weeks.
According to the letter, the incessant baggage delays have
caused crisis followed by mob actions as the airline arrives without 85 per
cent of passengers’ baggage.
The letter 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.
“This incident, which has been going on for two weeks, has
become so bad that the most recent flight arrived without 85 per cent of
passengers’ baggage onboard. Our Airport Authority has been facing serious
crises controlling the passengers at the airport whenever they arrive without
their baggage’s.
“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,” the letter read.