My tweetville was inundated with #BoycottAirpeace this morning and on digging further I discovered that the Airline arrested and detained one Akinfolarin Oluwaseun, who allegedly caused an uproar and delayed a flight for hours.
However, Mr. Oluwaseun who apparently was a passenger claim he was maltreated and intimidated for asking why the airline had a seat located in front of the emergency exit, in violation of global aviation rules.
In a series of tweets via @uberseun he narrated the incident and said that on board the flight P47132 to Abuja, he noticed the unusual location of seats on the emergency aisle. He immediately informed the hostess who was reading out safety instructions about this but was ignored.
An argument must have ensued as he also further alleged that other passengers joined him in asking but the air hostess shut them down and reported to the Captain of the flight who angrily announced that “if you are not ok with the aircraft get up and get out.”
He further stated that the airline officials invited FAAN security personnel who deboarded him alongside his other friend on the Captain’s insistence.
Mr. Oluwaseun accused FAAN officials of being unruly and biased. They were handed over to the airport police and detained till midnight when they were released on bail.
The Police has charged the matter to court today 11th September 2017. They are currently in court facing charges for breach of peace while the airline is yet to issue an official statement as at press time.
Yours truly is aware that aviation rules are basically the same globally. The emergency aisle can either be free or have seat with more space to afford passengers adequate mobility in the event of an evacuation. Moreover, aircrafts are manufactured to set standards and must pass through aviation regular checks. It is therefore difficult to imagine that a reputable airline like Airpeace will re-construct seats to block an emergency exit.
This is an interesting case that I will like to follow up.
