MD, Aero Contractors airline
BIODUN AKOMOLAFE, WILLY JOE, Abuja and AMARA IBEH, Port Hacourt
Following the suspension of scheduled operations of Aero Contractors airline by the management earlier today, many passengers of the airline were thrown into confusion and got stranded in airports across country.
Particularly, at the Murtala Muhammed Domestic Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2), from where the airline operates flights to Port Harcourt and Abuja, many passengers were left stranded without any member of staff attending to them on how to get refund or retrieve checked in luggage..
African Business Travel News (ABTN) learnt that the airline had however directed its over 1,000 members of staff to process on an indefinite strike.
The disruption of operations became noticed few minutes after the decision of the airline’s management to suspend its scheduled services beginning from Thursday, September 1, 2016, went viral online
When ABTN visited the airline’s counters in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt airports at about 12:45 GMT (1:45 am local time), check-in and ticket counters were empty and abandoned by staff.
Passengers who had come earlier to either board or buy tickets were confused when they could not find any of the airlines officials from whom they could make enquiries.
Our correspondents reported that the airline’s officials in Port Harcourt and Abuja airports were seen busy making calls to confirm the rumour from their colleagues in Lagos office, while passengers waited endlessly without anyone attending to them.
Some moment later the officials were seen gathering and speaking in hush voices even as they begin to disappear from the terminal buildings.
Some of the passengers who had arrived at (MMA2) and had their luggage checked in, were seen running from pillar to post on how to retrieve their checked in luggage while those already issued boarding passes were left in more confused state as to what next to do with the document.
However, some passengers who had also checked-in their luggage for the Abuja and Port Harcourt flights were later seen rushing towards the arrival area of the terminal and further to the baggage reclaim area to collect their luggage.
A man who spoke with our correspondent in Port Harcourt, under the condition of anonymity, said he has a medical appointment to keep with his doctor in Lagos today, but did not know how to go about it since the airline officials decided to abandon their duty posts, without anyone ready to attend to the needs of the passengers.
Confirming the suspension of the airline’s scheduled operations, some passengers in Abuja and Port Harcourt were heard using abusive words on the management of the airline for allegedly selling tickets to passengers when it was in the knowing that the airline will not fly.
The passengers were further angered by the disappearance of the officials of the airline who should assist them in getting their refunds from the counters.
