Video: AON condemns FAAN’s silence over Oshiomhole-Air Peace airport incident

Abdullateef Fowewe

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) expressed deep dissatisfaction with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for not releasing its version of the controversial incident involving Senator Adams Oshiomhole and Air Peace at Lagos airport.

Video link: https://fb.watch/AduFmUg-Tt/

Speaking in Ikeja, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, AON spokesman and Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, said, “Air Peace has challenged FAAN because Air Peace has its own version that makes a whole lot of sense to us as operators.

“The distinguished Senator had his own version, but now the people in the middle is FAAN. FAAN is landlord. They should have the full stories that will now tell us where things stand, because they should have the videos. They have their own staff on ground to know what happened. And we are really, really unhappy that FAAN as at today has not given their own version of the story”.

Okonkwo also condemned the growing problem of unruly passenger behaviour in Nigeria’s aviation sector.

“Unruly behaviour from passengers in Nigeria, I declared it as number one problem we are having this year… This is no way a young man who is frustrated, who is pained that he is paying money for a ticket, but the people who can also afford a lot of things.

“When there is an unruly passenger, the person must have to face the wrap of the officer,” he added.

The incident involved Senator Oshiomhole being denied boarding on an Air Peace flight for allegedly arriving after boarding closed, a claim Oshiomhole disputes, accusing the airline of extortion and unfair treatment of passengers.

The Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, has ordered a probe into the matter, urging all parties to exercise restraint and await the investigation’s outcome, Dailyeconomy reports.