Resolve transit visa issue, Keyamo tells Turkish Airlines

Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, has asked Turkish Airlines to resolve transit visa issues.

Keyamo spoke on May 29 when a delegation from Turkish Airlines, led by Hilemet Turkseven, the airline’s vice-president in charge of Africa, visited him in his office in Abuja.

Others at the meeting are Lokman Balkan, general manager, Lagos, Akin Carleal, general manager, Abuja, and Imdat Karakoc, the Turkish embassy’s deputy chief of mission.

This was disclosed in a press release by Tunde Moshood, special assistant media and communications to the aviation and aerospace development minister.

The minister presented three demands to the Turkish Airlines team.

He addressed the problem of transit visas causing Nigerians to be stranded in Istanbul and sought a resolution.

Keyamo also requested upgrades to the aircraft used for flights to Nigeria and urged the airline to support local caterers by serving Nigerian cuisine on return flights.

‘THERE’LL BE NO MORE DISRUPTIONS TO FLIGHT OPERATIONS’

The minister criticised the airline’s communication strategy during the union actions, attributing the problems to the attitude of their country manager.

Keyamo assured the delegation that there would be no more disruptions to their flight operations, as the issue is now before an industrial court.

“I had to advise your authorities to issue a press statement to calm troubled nerves,” Keyamo said.

Addressing concerns about reported instances of disrespect during flight operations, the minister emphasised the importance of maintaining high customer service standards and ensuring dignity for all passengers.

The Turkish Airlines delegation conveyed the regards of Bilal Eksi, the airline’s CEO, to the minister, expressing gratitude for his intervention during the recent union actions that had disrupted their operations.

The airline’s vice-president thanked the minister for his support and reaffirmed Turkish Airlines’ commitment to Nigeria, highlighting their 18 years of service since starting operations in 2006.

Turkseven praised Nigerians for their unwavering support and reiterated Turkish Airlines’ commitment to collaborating with the Nigerian government and its agencies to promote further growth in the country.

Also speaking, Karakoc assured the minister that he would discuss the issues with the Turkish authorities and promised to make the necessary adjustments.

“This meeting signifies a positive step towards strengthening the relationship between Turkish Airlines and the Nigerian aviation sector, ensuring better service and mutual respect for all passengers,” he said.

Karakoc committed to improving the aircraft quality, although he said the current aircraft are not specifically designated for Nigeria.

On May 22, Turkish Airlines said it sacked seven Nigerian workers because they violated various ticketing reservation rules costing the airline significant economic loss.

Turkish Airlines spoke after the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on May 20 directed its members to picket the airline in Lagos state for sacking the workers.

The protest was said to have stalled flight operations that were to take place on May 21 and left 300 passengers stranded.

Reacting to the event, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on May 22 threatened to impose severe penalties on Turkish Airlines for its alleged mistreatment of Nigerian passengers.

On May 24, Turkish Airlines announced it would resume flight operations to Nigeria on May 25 after consultations with aviation agencies.