BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has reiterated the federal government’s unflinching support for Air Peace, Nigeria’s flag carrier designated for the Lagos-London Gatwick service.
In a statement, he said safety issues raised in the UK were being sufficiently addressed and does not in any way mean the Nigerian government was not queuing behind Air Peace.
He said: “My attention has been drawn to recent media publications citing some issues allegedly relating to possible safety violations at the Gatwick Airport by Airpeace Airlines raised by Safety inspectors of the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority. We want to re-iterate that Airpeace Airlines is the Nigerian flag carrier designated on the London route and as such enjoys the full backing and support of the Nigerian Government in its operation of that route.
“I have been adequately and reliably briefed on the progress made thus far on this issue by the Acting Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). I am informed that the safety issues raised had since been adequately addressed by the Management of Air Peace and promptly closed to the satisfaction of the UK authorities.
“I wish to state categorically that the Federal Government has full confidence in the continued safety of the operations of all Nigerian flag carriers designated on differential international routes, including Air Peace and will continue to support and nudge them forward in pursuit of world class operational excellence.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Federal Government of Nigeria has put its full weight and might behind all the local airlines designated on international routes in their endeavours in prosecuting these operations and shall provide all the necessary assistance and cooperation to ensure their success. Air Peace is no exception in this regard”.
Before the feud was settled, the NCAA has threatened to sanction Turkish Airlines over the maltreatment maltreatment of Nigerians passengers, who have remained stranded at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, following it failure to airlift them to istanbul.
The agency disclosed that the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the NCAA, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) , and relevant agencies to ensure that the rights of Nigerian passengers are protected anywhere they might be facing challenges.
NCAA spokesman and Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr. Michael Achimugu, disclosed said the NCAA is currently meditating on the feud between the European carrier and aviation labour unions which picketed the airline’s operations at the Lagos Airport on Tuesday.
Achimugu said the Federal Government and its agencies will spare no efforts to call to order any airline that violates the rights of Nigerian passengers.
According to him, the Director General of NCAA, Captain Chris Najomo had in a virtual meeting on Tuesday from the United Kingdom initiated reconciliation moves between the Country Manager of Turkish Airlines and the unions, but the representative of the airline exhibited some traits of impudence, which the regulator deemed amounted to lack of regard for the system.
Arising from the infraction, Achimugu said the Federal Government will not hesitate to look deep into the impasse with the possibility of extracting the right punishment if the carrier is found culpable.
The Federal Government, he said, will take every step to ensure the rights of Nigerian passengers are not trampled upon by any carrier, including foreign airlines, in taking the right steps to address any infractions on their conditions of operations into the country.
He confirmed that over three hundred passengers have been trapped in the imbroglio involving the Turkish Airlines and aviation unions, as the carrier has canceled flights out of and into Nigeria until Thursday.
Achimugu said though the carrier claimed to have communicated with passengers through electronic mail on the on- going hitch concerning its operations into and out of the country, some passengers still turned up at the Lagos Airport.
