NIGERIA – Airline owners’ umbrella body in the country, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has condemned the recent attacks by some passengers on staff of airlines and the wanton destruction of their property across airports in Nigeria.
The body warned that may be forced to have a rethink on how to respond in such circumstances should such destructive acts continue.
The AON warning follows the recent damages on Max Air properties by angry travellers in Abuja. They said the unfortunate development further heightens their deepest concern and worry over the increasingly deplorable state of security and the rising threat to the lives of airline staff and their properties at Nigerian airports.
The message was contained in an electronic statement made available to journalists and signed by AON President, Alhaji Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina.
According to the AON, “the airport vicinity is a sensitive and sacrosanct environment where people are not allowed to behave in callous and uncontrollable manner.”
It noted that “a situation where passengers are allowed to have access into sensitive restricted areas of the airport and attack airline staff or prevent a plane from departing to other destinations because a particular flight is delayed or cancelled puts the country in a bad light in the international community. The unruly passengers that went after Max Air and destroyed the computer reservation systems further exacerbated the problem for other passengers going to other destinations, such acts are completely unacceptable. AON understands the frustrations whenever a flight is delayed or cancelled and we apologize to passengers on behalf of airlines for such delays or cancellations. It is however instructive to note that delays happen worldwide and there are conditions that cause them.”
