Monday 4 June 2012

Dana Airline shuts Abuja office

Dana Airline, owners of the aircraft that crashed in Lagos on Sunday, have shut down their Abuja office as relatives of victims of the plane crash besieged the airline’s office at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Sunday evening seeking information on the crash.

The victims’ family members were frantic and anxious upon finding the airline’s office shut with no one to give information. The people’s frustration was heightened when they were refused entry into the airport terminal by security officials.

It was gathered though that some of the anxious people were not exactly sure if their family members were on the plane which crashed, because more than one DANA flight left Abuja for Lagos on Sunday.
Some of the relatives lamented that all the contact persons they had in DANA had switched off their phones and could not be reached.

"This is really unfair. What am I going to tell my brother’s wife?” one family member said.

Meanwhile, Anne Ene-Itta, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, in her reaction to the crash, told journalists that the incident "was such an unfortunate one".

"For all of us in the aviation sector as well as Nigerians as a whole, it is very unfortunate. But search and rescue operations are on," she said.

"We don't have any further information for now however. But, we will release such information as soon as we get them from Lagos."

Victor Elias, the Special Adviser, Technical to the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, who also addressed the press, assured of prompt release of news about the crash.

He said the Minister of Aviation would give a proper address when there was adequate information.
Elias however pointed out that the incident was a technical issue which needed to be handled carefully.

"The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) will set up an information desk at the airport to provide information to family members," he said.

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