Passengers stranded in Dar es Salaam over the weekend by Air Tanzania have been provided with hotel accommodation and meals, and the airline has assured them they will be flown to Nigeria today, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority confirmed on Saturday.

In a statement posted on X, the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, confirmed the authority is closely monitoring the situation until all passengers arrive safely.

“Passengers were eventually given hotel accommodation and a meal.

“They have been assured by the airline that they would be flown today, even though the airline does not usually operate to Nigeria at weekends.

“We will keep monitoring the situation until the passengers arrive safely,” he said.

Reacting to the swift intervention, X user Barkindo said, “Your swift intervention, as always, reflects the NCAA’s renewed commitment to timely & effective consumer protection. Thank you for responding promptly & ensuring passengers receive the care they’re entitled to. History will be kind to you for the standard you are setting today.”

Achimugu said the swift response followed directives from senior authorities, noting, “The standard was set by our bosses. Mr President gave a mandate to the Honourable Minister, Festus Keyamo, and he, in turn, signed a performance bond with our DGCA, Chris Najomo. It is that mandate that we are all striving to achieve. We are but vessels.”

PUNCH had earlier reported that Achimugu confirmed the incident involving the stranded passengers and reminded the airline that affected travellers are entitled to “hotel accommodation, meals, and regular updates” under Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.

Some travellers had raised urgent concerns, including one who was due for a visa interview on Monday.

He advised the airline that if it could not operate flights over the weekend, it should “offer refunds or rebook passengers on other carriers.”