Aviation experts have expressed divergent views over the proposal by the former director general, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren, that the federal government should allow first-class and business-class passengers to buy tickets in dollars, while passengers in economy pay in naira.
Demuren proposed this as a way of solving the squabble between Nigeria and foreign airlines over the carriers’ $464m trapped funds.
According to the former NCAA boss, doing this would help the carriers to repatriate their funds with ease and put a stop to the issue of trapped funds or, at best, help to significantly eliminate the problem.
“This problem needs to be solved and we must stop this problem. Is your family abroad? Ok, will you go by boat to see them when the airlines stop operations? They have money, but they can’t take it out. It is not done in other places. You need to cut your losses. What I am saying is that we can solve it.”
Expressing a divergent view, the president, National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mrs Susan Akporiaye, said selling tickets in dollars will be double jeopardy for Nigeria as the dollar is not readily available even at the black markets.
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She said, “If they are truly experts then they should know that is not the best way to go. We have a challenge and let’s not compound the challenge that is on the ground by selling tickets in dollars.
“Assuming the Nigerian government listens and they allow it, we’ve just compounded and tripled our problem as a nation. That is not our local currency and selling in a currency that is not yours is very dangerous to the economy. Right now, there is an Economic crisis and we are trying to manage that.”
She noted that selling tickets in dollars will further deepen the crisis that the country is going through.
The chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, frowned at the alleged insistence of some foreign airlines to sell their tickets in dollars.
Nnaji, who, in a statement, expressed appreciation to the federal government for releasing more than half of the trapped foreign airlines’ funds, urged the foreign carriers to discontinue the dollar-denominated practice to save passengers from undue pressure.
He said, “As representatives of the Nigerian people, the House leadership and members of my Committee will continue to dialogue with the executives to ensure robust air transport economy in our country.”
He appealed to the airlines to make efforts to bring down their fares on Nigerian routes, noting that investigations had shown that Nigerian travellers pay higher fares on international routes more than any country does in Africa.
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