Like some on Nigerian Twitter would say, it’s the irony of life.
Dana Airline, the troubled airline which made headlines in June 2012 when one of its planes crashed in Lagos killing over 150 people has been named by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria as the best domestic carrier for 2011?????. Yes, you heard that right.
This is a move which families of the victims of that June crash would no doubt find very offensive and insensitive.
FAAN’s regional general manager, Chris Bature, gave reasons why the airline was chosen. He said ithad good customer relations and paid dues promptly.
For the international carriers, Lufthansa Airlines was selected as the best international carrier for the same period.
Dana airline will be pleased by the FAAN recognition as it continues to launder its battered image. The airline’s license was only recently restored by the Federal Government after seizing it for 93 days, a move which provoked outrage across the country.
Speaking at the occasion, Bature stated that the airline was selected because of its outstanding performance. His words: “Mode of selection includes passenger capacity, frequency of the landing and take-off, their response to payment of bills. Among the domestic carriers, they were the best. They had the best volume, they were punctual in their operations.”
When Bature was questioned about the timing of the award, he explained that the award would have taken place earlier in the year and that it is now being given after the operator’s license had been restored.
“In all fairness, they did their best and we need to recognise that and encourage them to get back to their feet,” he added.
Dana’s station manager at the Abuja airport, Kayode Adeniran, stated that the airline’s commitment to best customer service and timely departure earned it the award.
He said: “We have this policy in our company that we must not delay passengers and we introduced another type of system. If your flight is delayed by 40 minutes, we give refreshments to all passengers that already had their boarding passes. So people were so impressed by our service.”
Adeniran lamented over the loss of lives occasioned by the crash. He said the airline’s management visited and commiserated with the families of the deceased. He also said that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has embarked on an investigation to ascertain when the airline would be allowed to commence operations.
Adeniran stated that the airline has commenced demonstration flights as stipulated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). He also said that the operation would run until NCAA certifies the carrier fit to resume full operations.
by Stanley Azuakola
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