Angry passengers on Thursday evening
blocked the runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja,
preventing planes from taking-off or landing.
Findings by our correspondent revealed
that the blockade was caused by passengers who disembarked from...
an Arik
Air flight that was meant to take them to the Margaret Ekpo Airport,
Calabar from Abuja.
According to reports, the flight that
had the Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke, on board, was denied
landing at the Calabar airport at about 5.30pm by the station manager
due to safety concerns.
It was learnt that despite pleas by the
aides to the governor to allow the landing of the aircraft, the station
manager refused, citing the fact that the runway lightening was poor
thus, the pilot was left with no other choice than to return the
passengers to the Abuja airport.
A passenger in one of the stranded
airplanes said he and other travellers had to disembark and sat on the
tarmac for more than one hour after the pilot announced that the plane
could not take off because the runway had been blocked.
The General Manager, Corporate
Communications, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Yakubu Dati,
who confirmed that the Arik passengers blocked the runway, blamed the
airline for the incident.
He added that the passengers had
insisted that Arik must compensate them for breach of contract,
especially since the flight was delayed.
Culled - Punch
Drop a comment...thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment