Air Travellers Kick Against Unprofessional Practices By Egypt Air

SAN FRANCISCO, January 08, (THEWILL) – A group of Nigerian passengers of Egyptian national carrier, Egypt Air, has called on the Federal Government to stop the unprofessional operational practices of the airline in the country.

The passengers, drawn mostly from states in the Northern Nigeria, said they resolved to draw the attention of the government to the practices of the airline, including habitual luggage theft, because they have incurred losses that had cost them several millions of naira, in the recent times.

This was contained in a statement made available to the THEWILL, by some of the air travellers that were affected by recent delay in the release of travel luggage in the commercial city of Kano.

According to the statement, which was signed on behalf of the group by two Kano-based businessmen, Sanusi Mu'azu, and Abdulaziz Imam, many passengers of the airline, particularly, business travellers are losing their investments due to neglect of the airline.

“On behalf of the Nigerian air travellers in the Northern part of the country, we are appealing to the Federal Government through the office of the minister in charge of aviation, to prevail on the management of Egypt Air to release our luggage to us,” they said.

“We are forced to issue this statement because we have noted with concern that the airline has now made it a common practice to lost customers `luggage properties, without any tangible reason.”

The group asked the government to prevail on the management of the airline to make their luggage available, as they observed that the airline had made it a trend to pay compensation, rather than releasing their properties.

“Most affected by this worrisome trend are business travellers, particularly, businessmen of smallholding that normally travel to Middle East countries to buy goods for sale. Of recent, many people have lost luggage worth several millions of naira.

“One thing that we know is that the airline prefers paying compensation of just $200, rather than delivering luggage to travellers.”

The group disclosed that a total of 11 passengers, who travelled via the airline en-route Kano from Cairo, on January 5, were yet to receive their travel luggage.

Giving further details, Mu`azu revealed that a similar incident occurred January 7, when most of the passengers of the airline that boarded flight MS879 from Cairo to Kano, were unable to take delivery of their luggage.

Oputah David