P
ProfRem
Guest
Emirates Airlines has rejected the Nigerian currency, naira, for payment by travellers to Brazil.
The Dubai-based airline is rather demanding a credit card mode of payment from passengers at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The development, which caught many passengers unawares, caused some of them to be left behind, despite having bought tickets weeks earlier.
The Emirates office in Lagos yesterday confirmed that the credit card mode of payment is indeed the company’s policy, though it would not explain the rationale.
An official of the airline, Babatunde Yahaya, who explained the new policy to angry passengers on Sunday said the action was in line with a memo issued to them, demanding that any ticket issued on Emirates, for passengers travelling from Nigeria to Brazil, “must be by credit card and not cash.”
Yahaya said the directive was issued on September 22 and took effect immediately.
Reacting to the latest development, Spokesman for NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, said the action was contrary to the provisions of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and other countries as contained in Article 8 (4).
According to Adurogboye, the agreement provides for ticket payment either in local currency or official currency of the airline’s host country, but as preferred by the passenger.
He said: “You (airlines) are duty bound to accept any mode of payment that the traveller chooses. And you don’t turn them down. If you do, then that is where we come in.”
The Dubai-based airline is rather demanding a credit card mode of payment from passengers at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The development, which caught many passengers unawares, caused some of them to be left behind, despite having bought tickets weeks earlier.
The Emirates office in Lagos yesterday confirmed that the credit card mode of payment is indeed the company’s policy, though it would not explain the rationale.
An official of the airline, Babatunde Yahaya, who explained the new policy to angry passengers on Sunday said the action was in line with a memo issued to them, demanding that any ticket issued on Emirates, for passengers travelling from Nigeria to Brazil, “must be by credit card and not cash.”
Yahaya said the directive was issued on September 22 and took effect immediately.
Reacting to the latest development, Spokesman for NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, said the action was contrary to the provisions of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and other countries as contained in Article 8 (4).
According to Adurogboye, the agreement provides for ticket payment either in local currency or official currency of the airline’s host country, but as preferred by the passenger.
He said: “You (airlines) are duty bound to accept any mode of payment that the traveller chooses. And you don’t turn them down. If you do, then that is where we come in.”
