By John Ikani
The alleged mistreatment of over 200 passengers on a Lufthansa Airlines flight bound for Nigeria is currently under investigation by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The Lufthansa flight in question, LH566, departed from Frankfurt and was scheduled to land directly at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos. However, the pilot diverted the flight to Cotonou, Togo and later to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea for reasons that are still unclear.
Upon arriving Lagos at 2am, the passengers requested the airline to arrange for their stay, but the carrier allegedly threatened to call the police.
There were also reports that Lagos airport was not closed, as claimed by the Lufthansa pilot.
According to the General Manager of Public Affairs for the NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, an investigation has been launched into the matter.
He stated, “I just got our Consumer Department and I was told that the report came in today and, as such, just beginning to do their investigation into the matter.”
Meanwhile, industry stakeholders have expressed their dismay over the alleged maltreatment of the passengers.
Aviation stakeholder, Grp Captain John Ojikutu, has called for an urgent investigation into the matter, stating that the NCAA must report the Lufthansa matter to ICAO and IATA and thereafter sanction the airline.
He further added, “We are close to the next ICAO and FAA/TSA Audits this year; these are likely to be the focus of some of their questions.”
It is important for the NCAA to take this matter seriously and take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and well-being of passengers in Nigerian airspace.
