TURKISH AIRLINES INCIDENT LEADS TO SUSPENSION OF AIRPORT OFFICIALS, AVIATION MINISTER ORDERS INVESTIGATION

NNAMDI AZIKIWE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ABUJA

It’s a bleak Christmas for three top officials of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja as they serve a suspension ordered by the Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika. Their suspension is in connection with the recent incident with a Turkish Airlines flight at the airport.

The suspension was handed down to the Airport Manager, Terminal Manager and the Head of Airport Security for their alleged negligence resulting in a breach of security in respect of the intrusion of passengers from the Turkish Airlines flight onto the tarmac, in protest of their arriving without their luggage. He said the affected officials are to hand over to their second in command until the investigation is concluded.

The minister stated that the ministry was also to conduct a thorough investigation to identify the cause of the breach and determine why the airline brought in passengers without their luggage. He expressed dissatisfaction with the excuse offered by the officials that the security personnel on duty were overpowered noting that the primary purpose of the government was to ensure the safety of lives and property of its citizens. He said the passengers forcing their way onto the tarmac and blocking the aircraft from taking off was a security breach which would not be condoned.

Sen. Sirika also informed the press that the Consumer Protection Unit of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had been ordered to investigate find out what happened, how compliant they are and deal with it accordingly, he said the ministry had demanded for the flight manifest so as to confirm the number of passengers involved.

He said that the aviation sector was very important; with capacity to grow and contribute more than what it was already doing in Nigeria, noting that the aviation was carrying by value, 31 per cent of the world cargo which make it a very important industry as the fastest means of transportation.

He traced the aviation sector in Nigeria, beginning from the Kano Airport where the first plane landed in the country to about 22 Federal Government owned airports plus several other private owned airports and disclosed that the government was determined to deliver a more vibrant and efficient aviation sector in 2016 by making safety, security and efficiency its watch word with regards to transportation.