NANTA former Vice Chairman Adewale chides Turkish Airlines over unfounded fine imposition

• mulls legal tussle if…

Former Vice Chairman of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) Otunba Segun Adewale, has lampooned the Turkish Airlines for allegedly fleecing many travel agencies of whooping sums of monies through unfounded and baseless imposition of fines.

Adewale in a recent chat with newsmen in Lagos, hinted that due to the high-handedness of the Turkish Airlines, many travel agencies are no longer in business having been hammered with heavy fines to the tune of 10million and 20million, without clearcut infractions as stated in the universal guiding rules of International Air Transport Association IATA.

The former NANTA Vice Chairman claimed that the Turkish Airlines in January 2024 slammed his travel agency- Aero Travel with an outrageous fine running into 78million naira and an additional 20,000 dollars, for a claim of infraction that was defined outside the IATA guiding rules.

According to Adewale, there are no correspondence from the said airline warning the agency of any misconduct or infraction for a whole year before the heavy fine was imposed.

“Many businesses have collapsed owing to this untoward and clearly clandestine act traceable to Turkish Airlines. Now, the airline debited me of about N78 million, just this January, they (the Airline) held on to another 20,000 dollars because of an alleged unfounded mistake on tickets our firm issued last year.

“They said there were some mistakes on the ticket we issued in 2023 and I am supposed to issue it at a particular location whereas other airlines are busy encouraging travel agencies to issue ticket even outside our shores but in dollars.

“What we cannot explain till now is why the Turkish airline waited for a whole year on the alleged mistakes before thinking of slamming us with fines, whereas the guiding rules says such a notice should have come for us before, since we have tried our best to conform with the rules.

“We have not flouted any known law in the sector. Turkish Airlines should not kill this business. No body told us we cannot sell tickets for applicants outside the shore of our country.

“No body complained when we were doing it. Nobody says what we were doing was wrong all through 2023. The airline gets their money. The law says such bookings should be in dollars and this was adhered to. These frivolous fines because of location where tickets was issued is another step to kill businesses.

“We are permitted to issue ticket to anyone outside Nigeria so far it is done in dollars, not naira. We are keeping all known regulations. We don’t flout any rule. I cannot pay this penalty. No correspondence to us for a whole year from the regulator or any airline that what we were doing was wrong until now that Turkish airlines slammed us with fine.”

Adewale, having considered the responsibility of the regulating body- National Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) urged its headship to rise to the occasion and save the travel agencies from getting drowned by the Turkish airlines debasing treatment.

“The National Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) needs to be up and doing in protecting businesses and guiding against all acts by any stakeholders or airline capable of killing businesses.

“NCAA should not be only there to collect fees from us. These are some of the things they must rise against by airlines we issue tickets for. We should not allow any airline to treat Nigerian business operators like slaves.

“NCAA ought to be a place of refuge for travel agencies when we have challenges just like the IATA protect airlines.

“NCAA must look into this situation and protect travel agencies. We believe since NCAA gives permission to airlines whether to fly or not, the airline will listen to the regulatory body to save businesses in Nigeria.” Adewale said.

Adewale maintained that: “Turkish airlines has been fleecing travel agencies, for every minor infraction, they hammer heavy penalties like 10milllion and 20million naira.

“So many operators cannot speak out because no one fights its principal, as doing so may be a precursor to having them withdraw their (travel agencies) operating license; many have left the business because of this high-handedness.

“Other airlines like Air France, KLM and others were even encouraging travel agencies to do such transactions in order to further boost the business that is largely experiencing a downturn now.

Adewale however, revealed that he had already directed his lawyer to write the Airline to reverse the debits of N78 million, but the firm didn’t acknowledge the receipt of the letter nor the email sent to them.

“We have sued the company to the tune of N100million for damages because it has cost our business a lot. Debiting our account illegally is a fraud. Many cannot speak for fear of licence withdrawal. We cannot keep quiet and be looking, many players in the industry are groaning.

“I am speaking on behalf of others whose business have been wrecked because of this dastard act which is clearly unchecked over the years. Some people who cannot pay some of these sudden fines left the business,” he said.

Adewale also said that the suit can only be withdrawn, if the Turkish Airlines can provide in the known rules and regulations. where his travel firms and other illegal fined had committed any infraction or contravene any law and rules.

“We shall also withdraw the suit, if the airline can provide any evidence that it notified us in any week or months within the affected year that we committed any infraction.

“Assuming we contravened, if the airline can show us any correspondence notifying us of any breach of any law, we shall withdraw the suit.” Adewale said.