The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on Wednesday vowed to invoke relevant sections of its regulations to sanction Turkish Airlines over the mistreatment of Nigerian passengers.
The NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr. Michael Achimugu, disclosed this to journalists on Wednesday in Lagos.
He said President Bola Tinubu had directed NCAA, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and relevant agencies to ensure that the rights of Nigerian passengers were protected at all times.
He added that the NCAA was currently meditating the feud between the European carrier and aviation labour unions which picketed the airline’s operations at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The spokesman stressed that the agency would not hesitate to roll out stiff penalties and sanctions on Turkish Airlines as Nigerian passengers are still stranded at the airport following its failure to airlift them to Istanbul.
He said: “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.
“President Bola Tinubu has directed the NCAA, FAAN, and relevant agencies to ensure that the rights of Nigerian passengers are protected.
“Currently, the NCAA is engaging officials of Turkish Airlines, but we have observed some degree of the insolence of the Country Manager, who engaged our D-G in a shouting match, he was even banging the table.
“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.”
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