The visas of 264 Nigerian passengers airlifted by Air Peace from Kano to Saudi Arabia were cancelled by the country’s authorities upon arrival on Monday.
The Saudi authorities, who cancelled the visas, insisted that the airline should return the passengers to Nigeria.
News About Nigeria learned that the flight took off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, via the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, on Sunday night and arrived in Saudi Arabia’s major city, Jeddah, today without issues.
However, upon landing at the airport in Jeddah, the Saudi Arabian authorities announced that all the passengers’ visas had been cancelled, and they must return to Nigeria.
Confirming the cancellation of their visas, John Ojikutu, an industry expert and the CEO of Centurion Aviation Security and Safety Consult, Nigeria, noted that the action of the Saudi Arabia authorities is shocking.
He also urged the Nigerian government to intervene in the matter and to stand firmly with Nigerian carriers, designating them as flag carriers so that other countries will recognize that they represent Nigeria.
Also, an anonymous source who spoke to VANGUARD explained that the airline personnel and the passengers were in shock because, during the check, the passengers went through the Advanced Passengers Prescreening System, APPS, which was also monitored by the Saudi Arabian authorities before the flight left Nigeria.
The source also questioned whether the development was a ploy to dissuade the Nigerian airline from operating to the destination because since it began operations because the flight, which was earlier scheduled to leave on Tuesday to Jeddah, was already fully booked.
