Following the startling turn of event on Saudi Arabian authorities’ cancelling the visas of all 264 passengers airlifted by Nigerian carrier Air Peace to Jeddah from Lagos and Kano on Sunday, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had issued a statement confirming an ongoing investigation into the matter to determine if any consular or aviation rules were violated.
In a statement centered on Nigeria’s recent participation in the Saudi-Africa Summit, where bilateral discussions covering various economic sectors and mutually beneficial commitments were made, Media Aide to Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alkasim Abdulkadir, stated that: “The Ministry will ensure such actions that impact the welfare of Nigerian citizens are mitigated in the future in line with the 4 Ds strategy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Recall that the flight, which departed from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos via the Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano, arrived in Jeddah without issues on Monday morning. However, upon landing, Saudi authorities announced the cancellation of all passengers’ visas. Subsequently, only 87 passengers were permitted entry, while the remaining 177 were directed to follow the return flight to Nigeria.
The Saudi government insisted that the airline should return all passengers to Nigeria, leading to a diplomatic dispute between the two nations.
An informed source revealed that the cancellation of visas occurred despite the passengers going through the Advanced Passengers Prescreening System (APPS) during check-in. The source raised questions about whether this incident was a strategic move to discourage Air Peace from operating the route, given the airline’s consistently high load factors.
“The airline was exonerated in all this as the Advanced Passenger Prescreening System which is live between both countries would have screened out any invalid visa and its passenger. The system accepted all affected passengers and passed them on.
“Those deported were 177 passengers and Air Peace has already left with them back to Nigeria.
“They are on their way to Nigeria now,” the source said.
Nigeria’s embassy in Jeddah intervened in the matter, leading to a reduction in the number of passengers slated for return from 264 to 177. Saudi Air has been operating flights directly from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia, and Air Peace, with relatively lower fares, has seen substantial patronage, contributing to foreign exchange conservation for Nigeria.
The source at the Nigerian embassy in Jeddah indicated that even Saudi Immigrations personnel claimed not to know who canceled the visas, emphasizing that the action occurred while Air Peace’s flight was already en route to Jeddah.
Spokesman for Air Peace, Stanley Olisa, confirmed the incident and stated that the airline would issue a detailed statement after obtaining full details of the situation.
Industry observers have suggested that the incident could be rooted in aeropolitics, aiming to force the Nigerian operator out of the route. Calls have been made for the Nigerian federal government to intervene and potentially adopt the principle of reciprocity.
In response to the incident, industry expert Group Captain John Ojikutu highlighted the importance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stepping in promptly to address the matter. He urged the Nigerian government to stand firmly behind its designated carriers for international destinations, emphasizing the need to designate them as flag carriers to strengthen their representation abroad. Ojikutu emphasized the shocking nature of the Saudi authorities’ action, attributing it to aeropolitics and diplomacy.
“The action of the Saudi Authorities is shocking. There is aeropolitics there and there is also diplomacy. There is a 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 that 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, the government is expected to stand behind any of the country’s airlines that it designates to fly overseas,” Ojikutu said.
