The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has disclosed that the Federal Government is willing to collaborate and support the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) provided they improve the quality of their services.
This was contained in a statement issued by Odutayo Oluseyi following a meeting with members of the Airline Operators of Nigeria led by Dr. Abdulmunaf Yunusa in the minister’s office on Monday, October 9.
The minister said that the AON’s visit was an advancement of a meeting that had taken place with the association.
“I don’t want to operate as a ghost, I said one of my policy is to operate an open policy… I said, bring up your challenges so that Nigerians would understand exactly where Government and Airlines Operators stands,” he stated.
Disclosing his willingness to assist the growth and sustenance of the local airlines operators’ while holding them to the highest international standards in the aviation industry, Mr. Keyamo noted that ‘they are critical to the growth and development of the aviation industry and the country at large, hence government is ready to help them operate profitably.’
He guaranteed the AON of a likely assessment of all Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASA), stressing the need for AON to renew and repair their fleets to encourage passenger’s patronage.
The minister enjoined the airline operators to embrace unity and create means to set up their businesses such that it will have enough capital based to survive instances like Covid-19 pandemic.
Similarly, he promised to suggest to government the possibilities of AON accessing facilities at single digits, including associated foreign exchange Afex to meet their foreign obligations.
While welcoming investors to establish commercial MROs in Nigeria, Keyamo disclosed that during his administration, a futuristic master plan will be developed to accommodate everything that will make Nigeria an aviation hub in Africa, hence he implored all airlines to utilise their BASA routes to reduce the prices of airfare.
Meanwhile, the President of AON, Dr. Abdulmunaf Yunusa presented a paper through Captain Roland Iyayi, who emphasized some of the challenges and possible solutions to the aviation sector in Nigeria.
According to him, some of the challenges are; foreign exchange, Jet A1 fuel, cost of capital and funding options, infrastructure, taxes, fees and charges as well as government policies.
AON while proposing solution requested for licences for Jet A1 importation and distribution through strategic partnership and an immediate review of all industry taxes, fees and charges.
The association called for immediate renegotiation of all existing BASA’s and Multilateral Air Service Agreements (MASA) in line with provision of Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM), with emphasis on the principle of reciprocity in favour of domestic airline.
