Some Nigerians and aviation industry experts have lauded the Federal Government for insisting that a Nigerian carrier, Air Peace, should conduct evacuation flights of Nigerians in Canada amid brewing diplomatic row following the decision of the Canadian High Commission to position another foreign airline for the flight.
Air Peace had earlier been positioned by the Federal Government to conduct the flight on Thursday, but it was postponed because the airline did not get landing permit from Canadian authorities.
It later emerged that the delay was caused by the Canadian High Commission which allegedly preferred Ethiopian Airlines to operate the flight at higher prices when some of the evacuees had already paid for Air Peace.
Daily Trust learned that while Air Peace charged $1,134 for economy class, and that 319 evacuees had paid, the foreign airline was charging $2,500 for economy class.
However, the Federal Government has defied the Canadian High Commission, insisting that the designated Nigerian carrier must evacuate the Nigerians from the North American country.
The President of Aviation Round Table (ART), an aviation industry think tank group, Dr. Gbenga Olowo, commended the government’s action and hailed the patriotism of the Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Godfrey Onyeama, for insisting that a Nigerian carrier should be allowed to airlift the evacuees.
Dr. Olowo stressed that a foreign carrier should not be allowed to evacuate Nigerians when there were capable Nigerian carriers to undertake the task.
