Saudi Arabia authorities have cancelled the visa of all the
264 passengers airlifted by Nigeria’s major carrier, Air Peace on arrival at
the country from Kano.
They insisted that the airline should return them to Nigeria.
Vanguard reports that the flight took off from the Murtala
Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, via the Aminu Kano International
Airport, Kano on Sunday night and arrived in Saudi Arabia’s major city, Jeddah,
today without issues.
However, on landing, the Saudi Arabian authorities announced
that all the passengers’ visas were cancelled.
A source who pleaded anonymity disclosed that all the
passengers and the airline personnel were shocked at the cancellation of the
visas because during check the passengers went through the Advanced Passengers
Prescreening System, APPS, which was also monitored by the Saudi Arabia
authorities before the flight left Nigeria.
The source wondered whether what happened was a strategy to
discourage the airline from operating to the destination because since it
started the operation it has been recording a high load factor and even the
flight expected to leave on Tuesday to Jeddah was already fully booked.
When the Nigerian embassy waded in Saudi authorities were said
to have reduced the number of passengers that would be returned to 170 from
264.
Saudi Air has been operating directly from Nigeria to Saudi
Arabia and since Air Peace started flight service to the Middle East nation at
relatively lower fares, it has been receiving high patronage and as a Nigerian
carrier, it helps to conserve foreign exchange for the country.
A source from the Nigerian embassy in Jeddah said that even
the Saudi immigration personnel said that they didn’t know who cancelled the
visas but that they were cancelled when the airline was already airborne to
Jeddah.
According to the source, “The airline was exonerated in all
this as the APPS, which is live between both countries would have screened out
any invalid visa and its passenger. The system accepted all affected passengers
and passed them on.
“Those deported were
177 passengers and Air Peace has already left with them back to Nigeria. They
are on their way to Nigeria now.”
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the sector have attributed the
development to aeropolitics.
Stating that it is a way to force the Nigerian operator out
of the route; unless the government intervenes, adopting the principle of
reciprocity.
According to industry experts and the Chief Executive
Officer, Centurion Aviation Security and Safety Consult, Nigeria, Group Captain
John Ojikutu, the action of the Saudis is aero politics and diplomacy.
He also requested that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
should step in immediately and intervene in the case.
He said that what happened showed why it is important for
the Nigerian government to stand strongly with any Nigerian carrier designated
to operate international destinations.
Ojikutu said that Nigeria should designate Nigerian airlines
approved to operate out of the country as flag carriers, noting that the United
States has no national carrier but all the airlines are supported by the
government and are designated as flag carriers.
“The action of the Saudi Authorities is shocking. There is
geopolitics there and there is also diplomacy. There is the need for the
Nigerian government to stand firmly with Nigerian carriers and also designate
them as flag carriers; so that other countries will know that they represent
Nigeria.
“Government must come out and intervene. The government must
be behind Air Peace now to ensure that it is not denied its rights as contained
in the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between the two countries. The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs must not keep quiet. Nigeria must not keep quiet.
Ideally, the government is expected to stand behind any of the country’s
airlines that it designates to fly overseas,” Ojikutu said.
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