Stranded passengers at a Lagos airport
Turkish airlines and the management of Golden Tulip Hotel, Apapa,
Lagos, has denied reports of maltreating some stranded passengers and
subsequently ejected them from the hotel.
The airline said while it regretted the development caused by
cancelled flights early January, the affected passengers were catered
for as mandated by the rule.
Recall that some Lagos-Istanbul passengers were lodged at the Golden
Tulip hotel on January 7, 2017,
following the airline’s inability to
carry its passengers due to bad weather in Istanbul, Turkey.
It was reported that due to protest by some of the aggrieved passengers, they had to be ejected from the hotel.
Rooms Division Manager of Golden Tulip, Paul Okojie, however, denied
the report, saying the hotel had no reason to do so to “one of its most
valuable clients.”
According to Okojie, “We were bewildered to read the reports in some
newspapers. Let me state clearly that those reports were absolutely
wrong and false, as we took care of the passengers lodging in our hotel
providing them with befitting accommodation, breakfast, lunch and
dinner. We also lodged the crew and Turkish Airlines staffers who came
regularly to visit the lodging passengers.”
Okojie recalled that the passengers were 232 in number and came in
batches through Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th January, 2017. This is
contrary to reports that the passengers were 410.
He explained that Turkish Airlines kept the passengers in the hotel
due to the bad weather in Europe until it could guarantee their safety
to be flown within international.
Okojie reiterated the hotel’s commitment to an enduring working
relationship with Turkish Airlines, which he described as one of the
most patronised airlines in Nigeria as a result of its affordability and
high focus on safety.
Managing Director of SBI Media, Rotimi Bankole, said the passengers
were stranded because Turkey was facing the worst weather in 10 years,
which affected all flights coming into Istanbul, as the heavy snow of
1.2 metre above sea level, had resulted in loss of lives.
Bankole added that besides the accommodation, the airline provided
two reliefs for its passengers in Lagos, advising them to proceed to its
Head Office at 1, Adeola Odeku Str. Victoria island Lagos for a change
of ticket to other available dates. The other was to ask for a full
refund at their ticket purchase units, mostly at different travel
agents, where they had purchased their tickets.
SOURCE:-THEGUARDIAN.NG
