REVEALED: Why Saudi Arabia Cancelled Visa Of 264 Nigerians Onboard Air Peace

The government of Saudi Arabia may have sent a notice of a looming diplomatic row with Nigeria over landing slots when it cancelled the visa of 264 Nigerians who arrived the country via Air Peace on Monday, THE WHISTLER has learnt.

On Monday, news broke that Saudi authorities cancelled the visa of all the 264 passengers airlifted by Air Peace on arrival in Jeddah from Kano and insisted that the airline should return the passengers back to Nigeria.

After intervention from the Nigerian Embassy, 87 passengers were later allowed entry while Saudi officials insisted that the remaining 177 return with Air Peace.

A Presidency source who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed to THE WHISTLER that Saudi authorities want more slots for Saudi Airlines.

“Fighting for more slots for Saudi Airlines,” the source said. “Saudia leaves from kano about 3 times a week, and it’s just embarrassing. I very much doubt they will give us any loan or improve on hajj conditions for Nigerians.”

The incident is coming barely two weeks after Air Peace received approval for scheduled operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Air Peace launched an inaugural flight to Jeddah, operated with one of its B777s and airborne from Kano at 23:22hrs with 231 passengers.

The visa cancellation happened even as President Bola Tinubu is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the Saudi-Africa Summit.

Tinubu hopes to improve bilateral ties between both countries and as well seek investment into the Nigerian economy.