The Chief Executive Officer, Centurion Aviation Security and Safety Consult, Group Captain John Ojikutu, has condemned the action of the Saudi Arabian government to cancel the visa-on-arrival of 264 Nigerians.
The 264 passengers airlifted by Nigeria’s major carrier, Air Peace, on arrival at the Arab country, were asked to return to Kano, as their visas were cancelled. Reacting to the incident, Ojikutu, an aviation industry expert said it was a case of apparent aeropolitics and diplomacy from Saudi Arabia, describing it as a means to force the Nigerian operator out of the route unless the government intervened, adopting the principle of reciprocity.
He also suggested that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs step in immediately and intervene in the case. He said what happened revealed that it is pertinent for the Federal Government to stand strongly with any Nigerian carrier designated to operate international destinations. Ojikutu said Nigeria should designate airlines approved to operate out of the country as flag carriers, noting that the United States had no national carrier, as all the airlines are supported by the government and designated as flag carriers.
“The action of the Saudi authorities is shocking. There is aeropolitics there and there is also diplomacy. There is 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. Government must be behind Air Peace now to ensure 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, government is expected to stand behind any of the country’s airline it designates to fly overseas,” Ojikutu said.
Saudi Arabia authorities cancelled the visa of all the 264 passengers who travelled from Nigeria to Jeddah. The Air Peace flight took off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, via the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano on Sunday night, Nov. 12, and arrived in Saudi Arabia’s major city, Jeddah, today, Nov. 13.
However, on landing, the Saudi Arabian authorities announced that all the passengers’ visas were cancelled and they should return to Nigeria. A source told Vanguard 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 from 264 to 170.
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.
