Emirates Airlines has rejected the Nigerian currency, naira, for
payment by travellers to Brazil.The Dubai-based airline is rather
demanding a credit card mode of payment from passengers at the Murtala
Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The development, which caught many passengers unawares, caused some
of them to be left behind, despite having bought tickets weeks
earlier.The Guardian observed that while some passengers were turned
back by the airline’s officials at the counter for already buying
tickets in naira, they also ensured that a passenger who had earlier
checked in for the 5:55 p.m. Lagos-Dubai Sunday flight never boarded the
plane.
The Emirates office in Lagos yesterday confirmed that the credit card
mode of payment is indeed the company’s policy, though it would not
explain the rationale.An official of the airline, Babatunde Yahaya, who
explained the new policy to angry passengers on Sunday said the action
was in line with a memo issued to them, demanding that any ticket issued
on Emirates, for passengers travelling from Nigeria to Brazil, “must be
by credit card and not cash.” Yahaya said the directive was issued on
September 22 and took effect immediately.
Reading from a sheet of paper to the evicted passengers, he said: “Any
ticket issued on Emirates Airline from Nigeria to Brazil must be paid
for with credit card and not cash.“The credit card holder must be
verified, preferably not his passport. And even when issued by a third
party, the credit card holder must be verified and his credit card
ascertained.”
One of the affected passengers, Obinna, said it was “humiliation of
the highest order,” and so shameful that such is happening on Nigerian
soil.“This is a ticket bought almost two weeks ago from Emirates and
they collected cash. Besides the fact that it is illegal to reject it
for whatever reason, why did they collect the naira when they wanted a
credit card? This is so disgraceful and I’ve never seen anything like it
in my life,” Obinna said.
Another Brazil-bound passenger said it amounted to cheating the
Nigerian system to insist that a ticket must be paid for with a credit
card because the fares would be deducted in dollar equivalent and at the
official exchange rate.“This is sheer discrimination against Nigerians
that ordinarily would have been taken up in a sane clime. The ticket was
purchased even before the date the so-called memo was issued. So, why
did they collect the fares when they knew they would not honour them?”
the passenger said on the condition of anonymity.
The airline, however, denied discrimination against anyone, citing a
“company policy” that was not adhered to by travel agencies. The
Emirates’ office in Lagos said the passengers affected bought their
tickets some days before the scheduled travel, and had done so through
travel agencies.
Early this year, some foreign airlines were allegedly demanding that
tickets be purchased with foreign currencies or from overseas, in the
wake of dollar scarcity and foreign airlines’ funds getting stuck in
Nigeria.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) then warned all
airlines to desist from the act which it described as a flagrant
contravention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s “prerequisite
guiding cost of products or services in Nigeria.”
The apex bank insisted that “pricing of any product shall continue to
be in naira only and it is illegal to price or denominate the cost of
any product or service (visible or invisible) in any foreign
currency.”Reacting to the latest development, Spokesman for NCAA, Sam
Adurogboye, said the action was contrary to the provisions of the
Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and other
countries as contained in Article 8 (4).
According to Adurogboye, the agreement provides for ticket payment
either in local currency or official currency of the airline’s host
country, but as preferred by the passenger.He said: “You (airlines) are
duty bound to accept any mode of payment that the traveller chooses. And
you don’t turn them down. If you do, then that is where we come in.”
He added that the regulatory authority was not unaware of complaints
against foreign airlines operating in the country and had been appealing
to them instead of going punitive.
According to Adurogboye, many of the airlines still have their funds
stuck in Nigeria amidst dollar scarcity, noting that it would be most
unfair to wield the big stick when they violate rules.He assured that
NCAA would investigate the development with Emirates and act
accordingly.
0 Comments