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1:48 PM

Passengers' maltreatment: Minister warns foreign airlines

The Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Adaeze-Oduah, has warned foreign airlines operating in the country to stop their alleged discriminatory action against Nigerian passengers.


Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi

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She said in a statement that the "unfair, deceptive and uncompetitive acts" would no longer be tolerated by the Federal Government.
The statement said Oduah gave the warning at an interactive forum with representatives of the airlines in her office.
The minster lamented that the aviation industry in Nigeria was riddled with "all kinds of unfair and deceptive practices that violate Nigerian and international laws."
She emphasised that the operators must deliver the kind of services commensurate with what the airlines were getting in terms of revenue from Nigerian passengers.
She said, "Nigerian market remains open for exploration but will be permanently closed to exploitation. We will ensure that operators exhibit respect for our nation, its officials, agencies and people."
She condemned all kinds of advertisements in the media without the mandatory scrutiny and approval from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority as well as all kinds of surcharges loaded onto ticket prices.
"These surcharges have absolutely no basis or justifiable reasons to be imposed, maintained or increased. We are currently investigating fuel surcharges and there will be very serious penalties for those who are found to have used them inappropriately," the Minister declared.
She condemned the situation where most operators tried to avoid statutorily Ticket Sales Charge."


She said the Nigerian market was one of the largest in Africa courtesy of the high population and passenger traffic, stressing that the Nigerian passengers deserved equivalent service to what their foreign counterparts enjoy.
The Director-General, NCAA, Dr. Harold Demuren, said some foreign airlines blocked seats on cheaper fares and forced Nigerians to buy higher ticket fares.
He said the quality of service on the Nigerian segment of trips was poor compared to other segments, including cabin and other crew members, who had no respect for Nigerian passengers.

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