Nigeria threatens Turkish Airlines over baggage delays

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has warned that it will suspended Turkish airlines operations over persistent baggage delays.

NCAA Director General Captain Abdullahi Sidi informed the airline that the suspension will take effect on December 16 if action is not taken to remedy the situation.

”The regulatory authority is to operate with the right aircraft size and bring passengers into the country together with their checked-in baggage,” the letter quoted by the The Daily Trust reads.

NCAA stated on Wednesday that cases of baggage delays have been going on for two weeks with 85 percent of passengers reporting that their luggage was missing on arrival.

These inconveniences, they say, have triggered ”mob actions” at the country’s airports which could be risky for operations.

NCAA told the airline to make sure that they use the right size of aircraft while flying into the country and to ensure that they arrive with all the baggage that they checked-in.

This Day newspaper reports that the two parties held a meeting in Abuja and agreed to upgrade the Boeing 737-800 to larger Airbus A330 and Boeing 737-900.

A spot check revealed that the airline has since begun to comply with the conditions.

“After Major General Buhari grounded Turkish Airlines in Nigeria for moving the baggage of passengers in separate cargo planes days after arrival of the passengers, the airline has begun using a larger A330 aircraft to convey both passengers and their luggage in the same plane,” one passenger Ovie Ali said.