NCAA Suspends Turkish Airlines from Nigerian Airports

Ololade Adeyanju/

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said that Turkish Airlines will be barred from flying into Nigeria from December 16 if it does not meet certain conditions.

NCAA’s Director-General, Abdullahi Sidi, gave the ultimatum in a statement by the Director of Public Affairs at the ministry of Aviation, James Odaudu, yesterday.

The statement says the airline will no longer be allowed to operate if it does not fly with the right size of aircraft that can transport all passengers with their baggage at the same time.

It observed that recent flights operated by the airline left behind the baggage of about 85% of the passengers on board.

“Our airport authority has been facing serious crises controlling the passengers at the airport whenever they arrive without their baggage. This issue has made passengers carry out several mob actions at our airport and it is a great threat to our airport facilities.

“In view of all these, and a series of meetings held with the Turkish Airlines personnel, which did not yield any solution to this problem, the NCAA is therefore left with no option than to direct Turkish Airlines 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,” the statement says.