CPC orders Turkish Airlines to respond to passengers’ complaint

The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) has issued an ultimatum to Turkish Airlines to provide a full situation report on events surrounding the alleged ill-treatment of its passengers arriving into Abuja on December 20, 2015.
CPC, in a letter to the airline, dated December 29, 2015, signed by its Director General, Mrs. Dupe Atoki, said, “Turkish Airlines flight TK 623 from Istanbul arrived Abuja on Sunday December 20, 2015 without the baggage of the passengers of that flight. Passengers of subsequent flights on the same route, up to December 26, 2015, were also affected as their baggage failed to arrive with their respective flights.
“The baggage of the passengers of December 20 flight started arriving piecemeal only on December 25, indicating that the airline boarded passengers knowing full well that their baggage would not be transported with them. Passengers, some of who travelled with minors, were put to great inconvenience and hardship as they were unduly deprived of their belongings and other items necessary to accomplish the purpose of their trips.”
The agency, in its letter, explained that “all such passengers, including those whose destinations were outside Abuja, were forced to repeatedly check at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on the fate of their baggage, thereby incurring extra and unbudgetted expenditure, including hotel accommodation.”
While noting that “Turkish Airlines allegedly failed to provide passengers with prompt and proper information about their baggage, which led to confusion and disenchantment,” the council stated that the airline “also allegedly failed to provide the passengers with any form of on-the-spot relief as required by international aviation conventions.”
CPC, therefore, requested the airline to provide it with a full situation report of the said events on or before Friday, January 8, 2016, stating further that the report should include its policy on delayed baggage, particularly as regards the compensation of affected passengers, the number of affected passengers, the number of passengers who had not received their baggage and when same was expected to arrive, including steps, if any, that had been taken to provide appropriate redress to the affected passengers.
The council pointed out that its directive was pursuant to Sections 2 and 12 of its enabling Act, which, while empowering the council to provide redress for services that cause loss to consumers, criminalises such an act.
It expressed concern about the complaints, which it said if confirmed, contravened Section 12 of the CPC Act.