Aggrieved air travellers have urged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and security agents at the nation’s airports to check the excesses of Owerri and Enugu passengers who often prevent others from boarding their aircraft in protest against alleged delay of their flights.

Speaking with newsmen in Abuja and Lagos on Sunday, some of the passengers alleged that they were prevented from boarding their Air Peace flights in Lagos and Abuja for hours by their counterparts scheduled to fly to Enugu and Owerri.

One of the affected passengers, Mr. Peter Akpesiri, claimed he was prevented from boarding his Abuja-Lagos flight for hours by those travelling to Owerri, who claimed their flight was delayed.

He alleged that Owerri and Enugu passengers were known for unruly conduct at the nation’s airports, saying his experience on Sunday was the second time he would be prevented from boarding his own flight by those protesting alleged delay of their flights.

The conduct of Owerri and Enugu passengers, he insisted, was a recipe for breakdown of law and order and full-scale chaos at the nation’s airports. He urged FAAN and security agents at the nation’s airports to ensure proper conduct by aggrieved passengers at the airport to avoid others resorting to self-help.

“It is quite shocking that some set of passengers could actually prevent others from flying simply because their own flights were delayed. While it is their right to seek redress where they feel dissatisfied, it is totally out of place for them to prevent others from flying. Our airports, as a high security environment, should not be a place for people to exhibit such condemnable act of lawlessness.

It is high time this worsening development was checked to prevent others from resorting to self-help,” he warned.

Another affected passenger, Mrs. Rose Waziri, told reporters that her Lagos-Abuja flight was prevented from boarding by Enugu-bound passengers, who barricaded the boarding gate for hours.

She wondered why a set of passengers should prevent others from flying because of the alleged delay of their flight, charging security agents to check the trend to prevent a clash at the nation’s airports.

Corporate Communications Manager of Air Peace, Mr. Chris Iwarah confirmed the Lagos and Abuja incidents, describing them as unfortunate.

He explained that the Enugu and Owerri flights were delayed because of weather and technical challenges, insisting that Air Peace would only operate a flight when it would not endanger the lives of its guests and crew in line with its uncompromising stand on safety.

He said the airline regretted the prevention of its guests from boarding their flights by Owerri and Enugu passengers, assuring that the carrier would continue to do everything within its control to provide quality service and prevent acts of lawlessness against its guests and staff.

“Air Peace,” Iwarah said, “would from henceforth refuse to do a flight where such an incident occurs, besides seeking the enforcement of the law against such passengers.”

He added: “While other passengers flying to other destinations would readily cooperate with airlines in difficult moments, it is not the same with Enugu and Owerri passengers.

During this period, passengers on the Enugu and Owerri routes travel a lot of luggage, some with as many as 20 suitcases each! At the check-in counters, such owners would take over 30 minutes of our check-in time arguing on why they must not pay for excess luggage, citing how they travelled from Atlanta with those suitcases without paying a dime.

At the end, we waste over two hours checking in just one flight. The time the aircraft would have used in getting to its destination and back to its origin is expended addressing the difficult passengers. At the end, it brings about serious delays for other routes, including that of the origin”.