NCAA Threatens to Suspend Turkish Airlines Over Repeated Baggage Failures

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority directed Turkish Airlines to suspend its Nigeria operations from 16 December 2019 unless it began flying aircraft large enough to carry every passenger's checked baggage, after weeks of flights arriving in Lagos and Abuja without the bulk of travellers' luggage.

Regulation Desk · 13 December 2019 · 2 min read

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority directed Turkish Airlines to suspend its operations into Nigeria from 16 December 2019 unless the carrier began deploying aircraft large enough to transport all passengers together with their checked-in baggage, according to a letter from acting Director-General Abdullahi Sidi. The regulator said recent flights had arrived in Nigeria without as much as 85 percent of passengers' baggage on board, repeatedly triggering angry scenes among stranded travellers at Lagos and Abuja airports.

Weeks of Complaints Preceded the Order

Sidi said the authority had held a series of meetings with Turkish Airlines personnel over roughly two weeks in an attempt to resolve the baggage failures without reaching a solution, leaving the NCAA "no option" but to order the suspension unless remedial action was taken before the deadline. Airport authorities had warned that the recurring baggage shortfalls, coming ahead of the busy Christmas and New Year travel period, posed a growing risk to order and safety at the affected terminals.