Lowered load factor reason for flight cut to Nigeria-Turkish Airlines

 

Turkish Airlines has given reasons it took the decision to suspend flights to Nigeria. The carrier in a statement said the decision not to operate to Nigeria some days in March is as a result of the lowered load factors caused by the suspension of other routes, stressing that several of their flights to/from Nigeria would be undergoing cancellations in March.

According to the carrier, “As Turkish Airlines, we would like to advise our passengers that some reported news mentioning Turkish Airlines’ full suspension decision on its flight operations to/from Nigeria do not reflect the reality”.

 Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in various countries, Turkish Airlines has been changing its flight schedule to several destinations around the globe in accordance with international and national authorities.

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Passengers with tickets to the cancelled flights will be able to refund or change their tickets free of charge until the end of May, if they start the process until March/April depending on the route”.

 The carrier stated that it had always puts the travel security at the forefront, noting that the airline would continue to monitor the latest developments on the situation with the national and international health authorities and take appropriate precautions. 

As the World Health Organization declared the potential risk of the virus, we have been acting in accordance with the recommendations and instructions of World Health Organization, IATA, and related national and international authorities since the first week of the January 2020”, it added.

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It urged all its passengers to complete the passenger self-reporting form distributed by the Federal Ministry of Health.

 

Thousands of flights have been cancelled worldwide as airlines struggle to cope with a slump in demand caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

Ryanair will stop services to and from Italy from Friday until 8 April, with BA scrapping its routes until 4 April as the country goes into lockdown.

EasyJet has cancelled all of its flights to and from Italy between 10 March and 3 April.

It has said it will operate “rescue flights” in the coming days.

Norwegian Air has also said it will cut about 3,000 flights in the next three months, about 15% of its capacity.

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It also plans to temporarily lay off “a significant share” of its workforce.

“We have initiated formal consultations with our unions regarding temporary layoffs for flying crew members as well as employees on the ground and in the offices,” said chief executive Jacob Schram.

While the restrictions on travel to Italy and China have meant some services have stopped completely, there has also been a general fall in demand as holiday-makers put their plans on hold and firms instruct staff to limit travel.

 

 

Wole Shadare