NCAA stops Turkish Airline operations

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.

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.