Travel operators in disarray over travel ban, passengers want refund
- Why FG rescinded decision on travel restrictions, flights fully booked
- Nigerians in Europe struggle to beat three day flight window
The Nigeria’s travel ban has put the nation’s travel business in disarray as many people outside the country who don’t want to be cut in the web of the ban made frantic efforts to return to the country.
Many who had gone for conferences, seminars and other activities in the thirteen countries listed in Federal Government’s ban were making frantic efforts to return to the country.
The airlines are not left out of the ban as they are most likely to go back empty as many Nigerians have cancelled their flights while many are jostling to get seats to return to Nigeria.
The affected countries are United State of America, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, Iran, Switzerland, Norway, Netherland, France, South Korea, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Scores of passengers besieged British Airways counters in London but could not secure seats as the flights were fully booked.
A journalist whose son had gone for an entrance examination in London next week called Woleshadarenews to express her frustration at the inability of her son to secure a seat on the flight to Abuja, saying he instructed her son to remain at the airport until they are able to get him a seat.
A top official of British Airways who spoke under condition of anonymity told our correspondent that there were panic bookings thereby leading to over capacity. People were also said to be cancelling flights.
“There are no seats on the flights to Lagos and Abuja. The flights are fully booked. The panic that trailed the ban is unprecedented. We are trying to cope with the situation on our hands”.
The official however stated that the government was yet to clarify on what the ban entails, adding that they needed to know if only returning Nigerians in those countries are the only ones allowed to come into back to the country.
She stated that they were hopeful that they would be communicated with the category of people to come into the country within the three days window.
Managing Director of Dees Travels, Mr. Daisi Olotu said the ban has seriously affected the travel industry, adding that it has a negative impact.
He said they were inundated with calls from customers who asked for cancellations and demanding for a refund.
‘They want their money back but the airlines cannot even refund money. They asked them to reschedule for the next date of their travel. It is a big issue. People are coming here making troubles and we told them that their money is not with us. It is with the airlines. It is serious issue.”
Founder and Chairman of FlyBoku Travels and Tours, Mr. Abiola Lawal echoed what Olotu said, stressing that there are a lot of cancellations with customers asking for a refund.
Lawal described the situation travel agents are going through as chaotic, stressing that so many of the passengers were asking for refund.
In an updated message sent to travel partners which was intercepted by Woleshadarenews, only German citizens are permitted to enter Germany while European Union, Switzerland United Kingdom and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) citizens are only permitted entry to transit directly to their home countries.
However, all foreign nationals including Nigerian passport holders are not permitted entry into Germany and also cannot transit to other Schengen countries via Frankfurt to other non-Schengen countries9Us citizens can still fly to the US via Frankfurt.
This, in essence means that Nigerian passport holders can neither fly to the EU nor the US via Frankfurt. All EU citizens are must have their country of origin as their final destination (they must be flying home).
There are indications that the Federal Government took the decision to issue the travel ban when it dawned on them that many were using Nigeria as transit point following travel ban imposed by the United States and other countries.
A message from one Dr. M.D. Mabayoje, a Nigerian-American through Whatsapps message that went viral alerted the Nigeria’s aviation authorities, health and security authorities of a report which suggested that Europeans were using Nigeria as a transit route to circumvent the US ban on Europe to get to the US.
He expressed concern that the virus could easily, most likely be spread at the Lagos airport. He urged Nigeria to review her precaution and containment.
Deputy General Secretary of the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) based in Lome, Akhator Joel Odigie in a statement made available to Woleshadarenews regretted that Nigeria’s economy is already hard hit by the COVID-19 spread.
He tasked the government to convene a crisis management session and communicate to the people measures it intends to take.
Google+
