Posted by By Oyetunji Abioye on
The Federal Government, on Friday, ordered the United Kingdom flag carrier, British Airways Plc, to ensure that its London-Lagos flight arrived the country not later than 6p.m. local time. as against 2a.m. from December 26, 2008.
The Federal Government, on Friday, ordered the United Kingdom flag carrier, British Airways Plc, to ensure that its London-Lagos flight arrived the country not later than 6p.m. local time. as against 2a.m. from December 26, 2008.
In a letter to the management of BA in Nigeria, dated December 19, 2008, and signed by the Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Dr. Harold Demuren, the Minister of Aviation, Mr. Babatunde Omotoba, said that the order would take effect from December 26, 2008.
The letter read in part, 'This is to inform British Airways that the Honourable Minister of Aviation has directed that one week from today, precisely from Friday 26th of December 2008, all British Airways flights into Lagos must arrive latest 6p.m. local time. The honourable minister has further directed that British Airways present schedule which brings passengers into Lagos at unholy hours must stop forthwith.'
Following complaints by passengers, NCAA had a few days ago summoned officials of the British carrier for explanations and strongly warned them against the trend. In an earlier directive by the agency to the UK carrier on December 16, 2008, BA was asked to revert to its earlier arrival time of 5.55p.m. local time.
The airline's plea, in a letter to the agency dated December 19, 2008 that it would start complying from January 1, 2009, was rejected by government.