Aviation: Foreign Airlines Won’t Be Allowed To Treat Nigerians With Contempt—Sirika

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has said that foreign airline operator will not be allowed to treat Nigerian travellers with contenpt.

Sirika said this in Abuja on Saturday in a statement signed by James Odaudu, the Director of Public Affairs in the ministry.

The minister further warned other airline operators to take a cue from the recent Turkish Airlines’ experience.

“Following the threat by the nation’s aviation regulators to ban its operations in Nigeria, Turkish Airlines last night flew into Abuja with a bigger aircraft A330 as against the usual smaller B737.

“Officials of the airline, alarmed by the prospect of losing their Nigerian market, had rushed into a meeting with the Nigerian authorities to pledge total commitment,” he said.

The minister also noted that the organisation had tried to comply with the conditions given to it in order to continue its operations in Nigeria,

According to him, Turkish airlines has been notorious for the shabby treatment of Nigerian travellers over time.

He added that such behaviours by the airline had always given rise to security issues at the airports with protests by affected passengers.

Sirika, however, said the airline had now shown commitment to improving its treatment of Nigerian travellers by operating a bigger and more comfortable aircraft.

He promised Nigerians better flying experiences as the nation’s aviation industry was set to undergo major developments in the coming years with the implementation of the stakeholder-developed road map.