By Chinedu Eze and Martha Eigbefoh
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) may sanction Ethiopian Airline in Nigeria in reaction to the inhuman treatment meted out on Nigerian passengers on the airline’s flight ET 601 operated on August 26 this year on the Dubai -Addis-Ababa- Lagos route.
This brings to mind the British Airways March 27, 2008 incident in which some Nigerians were denied boarding on a Lagos-bound flight by some crew of the mega carrier from London Heathrow Airport .
According NCAA, “A diplomatic row is imminent between Nigeria and Ethiopia over the inhuman treatment meted to seven Nigerians on ET flight from Dubai-Ethiopia-Lagos on 27 August 2008.”
Reacting to the incident, Dr. Harold Demuren, Director General of NCAA has summoned officials of the airline in Nigeria to explain the circumstances surrounding the incident. Also, the airline had been asked to apologise to the affected Nigerians in some national newspapers.
It is reported that the Nigerians were said to have complained of the aircraft’s faulty cooling system in Dubai as the aircraft was about to make its journey to Nigeria enroute Addis Ababa from the Dubai International Airport .
They were said to have been handed over to the police, who allegedly locked them up for four days.
NCAA in a statement signed by Sam Adurogboye, Media Assistant to the Director General stated:”The Director General of the authority, Dr. Harold Demuren had received a report about the ill treatment meted out to six Nigerian plus two other nationals and promptly summoned the officials of the affected airline in Lagos to a meeting.
He specifically directed officials of the airline to forward written apology to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the affected passengers, with commensurate compensations.
The Airline has however, complied just when this statement was about being released.”
Efforts to get the airline’s reaction failed as none of the officials could be reached at the airline’s office at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Meanwhile, workers of the British Airways has suspended their strike and the airlines has appealed to them to return to work to get back to work after the three days of strike that has affected its Nigerian operations.
Source: thisdayonline.com
9 thoughts on “Nigeria threatens to sanction Ethiopian Airlines”
EAL need to take action soon, and most hostesses need to undergo ethics training. A complaint from Nigerian is not the only one we have heard hundreds of passengers are talking about the mistreatments they have received from EAL’s hostesses often to their peers. To say “They own their own” is not a wise response.
in 2006 i was travllig to addis and was forsed to delay for two days not only me more than 50 other passengers.every stranded passenger thier laugage was in addis but passengers were in washington DC trully in EAL if you have good exrta hand you don’t need resservation just have your tiket you will get boarding pass onthe spot.
እውነት ነው አስተናጋጆቻችን የምእራብ አፍሪካ ሰዎችን ሲያስተናግዱ ትንሽ ክብር የጎደለው እንደሆነ ታይቷል ከበዙዎችም ተሰምቷል ስለዚህ አየር መንገድ ሰራተኞቹን የስነምግባር ትምህርት እንደገና ቢከልስላቸው መለካም ነው (Customer service should be revised)
I know most of the workers for EAL are good family citizens of Ethiopia however the vast majority of the beneficiary of the EAL is the members of the weyane families that gets the majority of the share money. So, let’s boycott EAL along with many other businesses of weyane. Here around Washington, dc we Ethiopians can boycott most weyane owned businesses that are established by the money that was taken from the Ethiopian commercial bank to purposely strengthening the weyane members in Diaspora so that all weyane members can control the business in abroad as they do control the business in Ethiopia in the name EFFORT a big corrupted business network of criminal members of weyane.
Lets boycott Axum Restaurant, Queen of Sheeba restaurant, Etete Restaurant( the owner of this restaurant had been actively engaged with the members of the weyane officials in Ethiopia in Washington dc at the weyane embassy, the owner of the restaurant had been touring the most criminal weyane official werkeneh who is the Director of police chief when he was in Washington a few weeks ago, also these owner of the restaurant had also been involved in a variety of corruption along with weyane), the new eyo restaurant at skyline( that used to be fasildes restaurant) this restaurant was bought by the weyane members with the money that weyane has kept for its members here in the US, oh don’t also forget to boycott Abraham money exchange( this guy is an official member of the criminal group of weyane), there are also a few more business that I will give you a list soon…lets all boycott all the businesses of weyane…..
By the way other Ethiopians who resides in different states and Europe and other continents have also the responsibility to list out weyane businesses and boycott all of them…..
Death to weyane members and supporters….
EAL need to take training not only on ethical issues but also on race relation and sexism. The hostess on Ethiopian airlines are treated like products rather than service workers on an airline industry. Every time I hear the hiring process of hostesses in the Ethiopian airlines I feel sorry for those Ethiopian Women who have darker skin tones and do not qualify the typical Ethiopian character that we all recognize. When does the Ethiopian airlines will start hiring people from Gambela and the south, when does the ethiopian airlines will start treating our women equally with out discrimination.
Hagos Araya/3/:Excelent thought;with the idea of boycott of all woyane’s members businesses,you hit the nail’s head right. There is no any lie about it. I witness they used our moneyto open their businessess. This the money the Woyane members robbed us in a broad day light.I support your IDEA 100%.
I remember once a Nigerean journalist wrote an article “Ethiopia an embarassement to Africa”. I never forget what an outstanding Ethiopian scholar replied to this insulting article. Hunger as a result of draught is very sad not shameful. What is shameful is being known for bad behaviour all of the world. I don’t trust Nigereans at all to condemn an institutuion which is known for its hospitablity.
Nigeria sanctioning one of the most revered and beloved airlines in the world? Nigeria??!!! I don’t believe I read that or heard that!!! I just don’t, can’t believe it!!!! Here is a nation that hutches scammers and daylight robbers in millions from its colleges and university, a nation(supposedly) that earns tens of billions of US dollars from oil and its people live in dire destitution with open sewer all around them and…and..eating dogs to survive has the nerve to sanction a well respected carrier???,,,, An economist once said that in Nigeria there are two pipelines that carry oil to tankers. One of them carries 30% and the 2nd one 70% of the oil. The one that pumps 70% of the oil is slated to line the pockets of 0.0001% of the population and the 2nd 30% goes somewhere nobody knows. That is why you hear often when hundreds die in gas line explosion holding their empty jerry cans. They are trying to get the piece of the pie their own way. Just travel to Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, Argentina, almost every country in Europe, Malaysia, China and around the globe. You will find and hear about criminals from Nigeria filling up their jails. Almost all of these jail warmers are college graduates with degrees in business and other management studies. It makes you sick when people in these Asian countries see you in the streets and ask you if you are from Nigeria. Rightly so they are apprehensive about anyone that looks African. It is a failed state by all practical reasons. And you are telling me this nation of hoodlums has the audacity to sanction our jewel – EAL. I would tell them – Get lost !!!! What a joke !!!!
Ere yehane airline enkua tewete enaderegewe…..Remember,thats the only image ethiopia has good….lets work how we can improve its image.Lets notshoot at it please.Specially for HAGOSE ARAYA
Thankyou