Both British Airways (BA) and Delta Airlines risk sanction by the Federal Government for maltreating Nigerian passengers, if the word of Aviation Minister, Babatunde Omotoba, is anything to go by.
He disclosed on Tuesday that both BA and Delta Airlines treat Nigerian passengers in violation of the rules of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
He lamented the recent ordeal BA passengers went through when its London bound flight was delayed for over six hours as a result of technical problems the aircraft encountered twice within an hour.
He also accused Delta Airlines of flying its Nigerian route with old aircraft that could not be used on other routes.
Omotoba said the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has concluded plans to summon Delta Airlines for allegedly using “scrappy” aircraft on the Nigerian route, adding that BA is also guilty of the practice.
He recalled that BA had committed another blunder when a flight was cancelled on the excuse that the pilot was indisposed.
He warned foreign airlines to operate to Nigeria with top class airplanes and to treat passengers with dignity.
BA alone made over N30 billion from ticket sales on the Nigerian route in a year, Omotoba noted, and wondered why it shows little care for passengers.
“Never mind, British Airways and Delta Airlines will soon hear from us. The development in recent times shows a lot of laxity on the part of both airlines and that is completely unacceptable. We must get the best of services,” he added.
He directed all airlines to comply with safety procedures or close shop, because the government will not allow the lives of passengers to be endangered.
Omotoba added that instruction has been issued to the NCAA to establish a Customer Protection Directorate that will oversee the handling of passengers by foreign and local airlines.
He also disclosed that the government has approved about N2 billion to build a second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja.
The current runway was built over 23 years ago, and has now been in use three years longer than its normal life span.
“The second runway will cost between N4 billion and N8 billion. Approval of N2 billion has been given, and very soon we will embark on the construction.”
Omotoba confirmed that he has just returned from Germany where he held discussions on safety and infrastructure matters.
Nigeria is in partnership with Lufthansa Technik, the technical arm of Lufthansa Airline, to have a hangar in the country that will maintain all types of aircraft, he said.