The Federal Government says it will review its Air agreements with various countries as a result of the unacceptable treatment of Nigerian carriers, especially as COVID-19 lasted.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Geoffrey Onyeama, disclosed this on Sunday following denial of landing rights to Air Peace at London’s Heathrow Airport.
Onyeama, however, urged aggrieved Nigerians not to protest, but be grateful to Air Peace for providing alternative arrangements to ensure their successful evacuation in spite of the challenges.
He pointed out that having been allowed to carry out one very successful evacuation of Nigerians from London at very low fares, Air Peace in coordination with the Nigerian Government and full knowledge of the UK authorities scheduled two additional flights.
He recalled that all the arrangements were made including payments, only for the UK authorities to withdraw landing rights close to departure, despite strong representations by the Nigerian Government including noting the hardship it would cause hundreds of Nigerian evacuees.
Onyeama said Air Peace could have just refunded the passengers, but exceptionally, patriotically and altruistically agreed to find an alternative carrier acceptable to the UK authorities.
According to the minister, Air Peace did this to carry out the evacuation a day later than scheduled, but for much higher fares.
He said the higher fares could legitimately have been passed on to the evacuees, but Air Peace bore the huge cost itself.
The Minister told the aggrieved evacuees that the objects of their grievance should neither be Air Peace nor the Nigerian Government, but that they should rather eternally be grateful to Air Peace.
“The Nigerian Government will review its Air agreements with various countries as a result of the unacceptable treatment of Nigerian carriers during this pandemic,” Onyeama said.
It was also gathered that the evacuation of stranded Nigerians was rescheduled from July 13 to July 14, with the departure airport changed from Heathrow to Gatwick Airport, London, which generated grievances from some stranded Nigerians who blamed the airline and the Federal Government for the inconveniences.
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