Last week Turkish Airlines that airlifted passengers from its base in Istanbul to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja failed to deliver the luggage of the passengers, who in reaction protested violently and attempted to stop the flight that brought them from taking off.
THISDAY learnt that Turkish Airline came in with small-body aircraft, which could not take in the passengers along with their luggage. Luggage was heavy as many of the passengers were coming in for the Yuletide celebration. The airline said its wide-body aircraft designated for the Nigerian route was trapped in one African country by a curfew, but few days later the aircraft was delivered and the airline started its normal service.
THISDAY also gathered that for each day the luggage was delayed each passenger was paid N10, 000. This was confirmed by the Director of Consumer Protection Directorate of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Mr. Adamu Abdullahi. He said some of the passengers collected up to N40, 000 because their luggage was delayed for four days. The airline, however, had to dispatch its cargo plane to bring in the luggage and by the time the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika took action on the unruly behavior of the passengers, they all had got their luggage back.
Last Sunday the Minister issued a statement that it had suspended the airport manager and two others who were supposed to prevent the passengers from invading the tarmac. The Head of Aviation Security at the airport said the security apparatus at the airside of the airport was overpowered by the passengers but the Minister had insisted that if it was well coordinated there was no way the passengers could have gained access to the tarmac.
The suspended officials, according to the minister, were the Airport Manager, Terminal Manager and Head of Airport Security who were ordered to handover to their next in rank pending the conclusion of the investigation.
The minister said the explanation by the officials of the airport that the security personnel on duty were overpowered was not acceptable, ordering for thorough investigation into the incident.
He stated that the actions of the passengers by forcing their ways into the tarmac and blocked the aircraft from taking off was a security breach, which must not be condoned.
“There has been an unfortunate incident where some agitated passengers of the Turkish Airlines arrived without their luggage making them to force their way into the tarmac which is a breach of security. The explanation given is not satisfactory because the primary purpose of the government is to ensure safety of lives and property of its citizens.
“The cardinal objective of this administration is to secure the country and manage it and we cannot fail in aviation and we cannot fail in this important assignment at a very important point.
“We have ordered for the investigation into the matter immediately and all the people that are manning the various places, Airport Manager, Terminal Manager and Head of Security should handover the next man in rank pending the outcome of the investigation.
“As to the airline also, the Consumer Protection Unit of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has been ordered to find out what happened, how compliant they are and deal with it accordingly,’’ he said.
Indications show that such unruly behavior as exhibited by passengers on the Turkish incident was not a rarity. In fact, it has been a trend, passengers protesting violently when their expectations were not met. Recently similar incident happened in Port Harcourt where passengers, dissatisfied with the service of an airline, protested violently and the leaders of the protest were promptly arrested by security operatives.
Some Nigerian airlines have alleged that while the NCAA reels out laws for them on passenger protection and the inherent charges when there are flight delays, cancellations and others, the passengers are not made to also know their obligations in the whole process of passenger movement and airlift from one airport to another.
One of the airlines pointedly accused FAAN and other airport officials of sometimes inciting the passengers that showed displeasure with the conduct of an airline and inciting them on what action they should take. Sometimes when an airline wished to serve refreshments to passengers after delay of a flight, other airport users and some airport officials would want to partake in the refreshments. So the Turkish incident may be the eye-opener for concerned authorities to permanently prevent such unruly behavior of passengers because informed source said top airport officials should have been pre-emptive, considering their experience, to know when passengers might kick against the rules because they were not satisfied.
Spokesman of NCAA, Sam Adurogboye acknowledged that the passengers were unruly and violent and noted that many air travellers have not realised that they also have obligations to meet in order to ensure seamless facilitation at the airports.
He said what the Authority has decided to do is so sensitise the travelling public and inform them that for every right there are limitations.
“There is provision for prosecution for passengers who err at the airport, so the passengers have to realise that they also have responsibility. Similar incident happened at the Port Harcourt airport recently and some people were arrested and the arrest and subsequent punishment will serve as deterrent to others. Then airlines have to also be alive to their responsibilities,” Adurogboye said.
The Director of Consumer Protection, Abdullahi told THISDAY that his directorate had reviewed the footage that covered the Turkish incident and those who spearheaded the revolt had been identified and they would be severely punished to deter others from treading similar path in future.
“You know that passengers can be fined up to N200, 000. What they did was unlawful intervention; it is akin to a hijack. The airline paid N10, 000 each day the passengers’ luggage was delayed and all those whose bags were delayed were paid,” Abdullahi said.
Now that NCAA has checked the excesses of Nigerian airlines, they should also do so for the Nigerian passengers who do not know the limitations of their privileges.
