Saudi Arabia refused visas to all 264 Air Peace passengers in Jeddah
Saudi Arabia has revoked the visas of all 264 passengers transported from Kano to Jeddah on Monday by Air Peace, the primary airline in Nigeria. The country has also demanded that the airline repatriate the passengers to Nigeria.
The aircraft departed from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, via Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, on Sunday evening and arrived without incident in the capital city of Saudi Arabia on Monday. However, the Saudi Arabian authorities declared the cancellation of all passengers' visas upon landing.
According to an insider with knowledge of the situation, the cancellation of the visas stunned every passenger and member of the airline staff. This is because the passengers underwent the Advanced Passengers Prescreening System (APPS) during check-in, which was also monitored by Saudi Arabian authorities prior to the flight's departure from Nigeria.
The source questioned whether what transpired was an attempt to dissuade the airline from continuing service to the destination, given that the load factor has been extremely high since the airline began operations and the flight to Jeddah scheduled to depart on Tuesday was already fully booked.
It was reported that upon the entrance of the Nigerian embassy, Saudi authorities reduced the number of passengers to be returned from 264 to 177.
Saudi Air has been providing direct flight service from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia. Since Air Peace began offering relatively affordable fares to the Middle Eastern nation, it has garnered significant customer support and contributes to the country's foreign exchange reserves as a Nigerian carrier.
According to a source from the Nigerian embassy in Jeddah, even Saudi immigration officials stated that they were unaware of the individual responsible for the visa cancellations but that the cancellations occurred after the airline had departed for Jeddah.
"The airline was exonerated in this matter because the Advanced Passenger Prescreening System (APPS), which is operational between the two countries, would have screened out passengers with invalid visas," the source said. "The system admitted and transferred all impacted passengers."
A total of 177 passengers were deported, and Air Peace has already returned to Nigeria with them.
"They are currently en route to Nigeria," said the source.
Observers in the industry ascribed this to aeropolitics, observing that it is an attempt to compel the Nigerian operator to abandon the route in the absence of government intervention guided by the principle of reciprocity.
John Ojikutu, CEO of Centurion Aviation Security and Safety Consult, Nigeria, an industry expert and aviation security expert, ascribed the Saudis' actions to aeropolitics and diplomacy in his response to the incident. He urged the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene in the case without delay.
According to him, the incident demonstrated why the Nigerian government must vigorously support any Nigerian airline authorised to operate on international routes.
Ojikutu advocated for the designation of Nigerian airlines authorised to operate internationally as flag carriers. He drew attention to the fact that the United States does not have a national carrier, but rather all airlines are designated as "flag carriers" and receive government support.
"The Saudi authorities' conduct is abhorrent." There are both aeropolitics and diplomacy at play. It is imperative that the Nigerian government support Nigerian carriers wholeheartedly and designate them as flag carriers so that other nations are aware that they are the representatives of Nigeria.
"God must take action and intervene." In order to prevent any potential denial of its rights as outlined in the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between the two nations, the government must immediately support Air Peace. The Foreign Affairs Ministry must not remain silent. Nigeria should not remain silent. "Ideally, it is anticipated that the government would provide support to any domestic airline it authorises to operate international flights," Ojikutu stated.
