Protest against Arik’s flight delay
Headlines Sunday, February 27th, 2011
Scores of Kaduna-bound passengers at the old domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, on Saturday, protested the delay of their flight by Arik Air.
Eye witnesses said trouble started when the angry travellers insisted that the airline should compensate them for delaying the flight for no clear reason.
Unconfirmed sources said some of the aggrieved passengers, who refused to board the aircraft when Arik eventually called for boarding, gathered in front of the plane to stop it from taking off.
As at press time, the length of the delay could not be confirmed.
The Media Officer, Arik, Mr. Adebanji Ola, who explained that the delay was due to operational reasons, said the matter had since been resolved and that the plane had already departed.
Adebanji added, “There was protest because the passengers said that they wanted immediate compensation for the delay and our officials told them that they could not get the compensation immediately, that it had to be according to the company’s policy. But the matter has been resolved and the plane has already departed.”
Our correspondent however gathered that the delay was due to shortage of aviation fuel at the time.
Officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria said that the angry passengers, who demanded ticket refund as a result of the delay, embarked on a protest because their request was not granted.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, which is the industry regulator, has been inundated with complaints from passengers over shabby treatment by most of the domestic carriers.
The agency said it was partnering with a passenger service consultancy, Karamba Limited, to evolve some measures that would address issues surrounding passengers’ welfare.
-Punch
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