Saudi Airlines has been criticized after abandoning 401 Kano-bound passengers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for close to 48 hours, triggering tension and security concerns.
This was disclosed by The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson, Michael Achimugu, this Monday, where he said he was at the center of efforts to de-escalate the crisis.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that bad weather in Kano forced the airline to divert to Abuja but said it failed to make adequate arrangements for the passengers’ onward journey to their final destination.
Achimugu said he later met with the Saudi Ambassador to Nigeria, who disclosed that no airline would be allowed to operate in Nigeria regardless of the country’s consumer protection regulations.
Achimugu further said that that the stranded passengers were eventually airlifted in batches in three flights by UMZA.