The minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has knocked the management of Turkish Airlines over disrespect for Nigerian passengers.
Keyamo, in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP by his spokesman, Tunde Moshood, expressed his concerns when the airline led by its vice president, Africa, Hilemet Mesut Turkseven; general manager, Lagos, Lokman Balkan; general manager, Abuja, Akin Carleal, and the Turkish embassy’s deputy chief of mission, Imdat Karakoc, paid the minister a visit following the impasse between members of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the airline over sack of seven employees of the airline.
Keyamo, however, charged the airline management to upgrade aircraft flying the Nigeria airspace.
The minister further rued reported instances of disrespect during flight operations, underscoring the importance of maintaining high standards of customer service and dignity for all passengers.
“The airline must consistently respect Nigerian passengers. Turkish airlines must understand the importance of maintaining high standards of customer service and dignity for all passengers,” Keyamo stated.
The minister requested an upgrade of aircraft coming into the country, as well as addressing the problem of transit visas causing Nigerians to be stranded in Istanbul while seeking a resolution. The minister also demanded support for local caterers by calling on the airline to support local caterers by serving Nigerian cuisine on return journeys to Nigeria.
Responding, the deputy chief of Mission, Turkish Embassy, Imdat Karakoc, assured the minister that he would discuss the issues raised with the Turkish authorities.
He, however, promised necessary adjustments, saying the airline is committed to improving the quality of aircrafts flying into the nation’s airspace, though he stated that the current aircrafts are not specifically directed against Nigeria.
The Turkish Airlines delegation also conveyed the regards of their CEO, Bilal Eksi, to the minister, expressing gratitude for his intervention during the recent union actions that disrupted their operations.
Vice president, Turkish airlines even appreciated Nigerians for their unwavering support and emphasised Turkish Airlines’ dedication to cooperating with the Nigerian government and its agencies to foster further growth in the country.