Abuja Airport Protest: Turkish Airline Compensates Passengers As NCAA Intervenes

Turkish Airline has paid the prescribed compensation to passengers whose luggage were delayed in the infamous Flight TK 624 scheduled service from Istanbul to Abuja.

The prompt compensation by the airline followed the intervention of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA), through the Consumer Protection Officers (CPO) of the regulatory authority, which ensured that all the passengers were paid full monetary compensation as contained in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs).

Photos showing some Nigerian passengers of Turkish Airlines, protesting the loss of their luggage while in transit at the Abuja airport had lavished the internet on Christmas day. The aggrieved passengers grounded one of the airline’s planes on the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport runway in Abuja. While some laid down beside the aircraft tyres, others camped around it.

It was reports that some of the passengers had been waiting at the airport for five days expecting their luggage, with some stranded and some more forced to spend their Christmas at the airport but no information was provided or announcements made with regard to their plight.

The development led to the suspension of three top officials of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) who heads of various departments at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by the minister of State for Transport (Aviation), Senator Hadi Sirika on December 26, 2015, a day after the incident.

A report of investigation into the matter by the NCAA yesterday indicated that in addition to full compensation, the Turkish Airlines also arranged a cargo flight and an airbus to freight to Abuja, all contentious backlog of baggage that were earlier short landed.

The NCAA also confirmed that all concerned passengers have collected their baggages.

These were contained in a report of the investigation carried out by NCAA over the recent Tarmac Intrusion by Turkish Airlines passengers submitted to the Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Muhtar Usman.

Credit: leadership news