Chinedu Eze And Martha Eigbefoh
4 September 2008
Lagos — Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) may sanction Ethiopian Airline in Nigeria in reaction to the inhuman treatment meted out on Nigerian passengers on the airline's flight ET 601 operated on August 26 this year on the Dubai -Addis-Ababa- Lagos route.
This brings to mind the British Airways March 27, 2008 incident in which some Nigerians were denied boarding on a Lagos-bound flight by some crew of the mega carrier from London Heathrow Airport .
According NCAA, "A diplomatic row is imminent between Nigeria and Ethiopia over the inhuman treatment meted to seven Nigerians on ET flight from Dubai-Ethiopia-Lagos on 27 August 2008."
Reacting to the incident, Dr. Harold Demuren, Director General of NCAA has summoned officials of the airline in Nigeria to explain the circumstances surrounding the incident. Also, the airline had been asked to apologise to the affected Nigerians in some national newspapers.
THISDAY learnt that the Nigerians were said to have complained of the aircraft's faulty cooling system in Dubai as the aircraft was about to make its journey to Nigeria enroute Addis Ababa from the Dubai International Airport .
They were said to have been handed over to the police, who allegedly locked them up for four days.
NCAA in a statement signed by Sam Adurogboye, Media Assistant to the Director General stated:"The Director General of the authority, Dr. Harold Demuren had received a report about the ill treatment meted out to six Nigerian plus two other nationals and promptly summoned the officials of the affected airline in Lagos to a meeting.
He specifically directed officials of the airline to forward written apology to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the affected passengers, with commensurate compensations.
The Airline has however, complied just when this statement was about being released."
Efforts to get the airline's reaction failed as none of the officials could be reached at the airline's office at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport , Lagos .
Meanwhile, workers of the British Airways has suspended their strike and the airlines has appealed to them to return to work to get back to work after the three days of strike that has affected its Nigerian operations.
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As an Ethiopian I would like to apologise to the Nigerians and others who were ill treated my the Ethiopian Airlines staff. I have noticed an ill treatment by an Ethiopian Airlines staff on one of my trips to Dubai from Addis. Please note that not all Ethiopians are racist, you can always find ignorant people in every nationality and race. Thanks. Benyam