FG Engages Stakeholders To Boost Local Airlines’ Operations

The federal government, through the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has engaged stakeholders in the aviation industry, with the aim of improving the viability of the nation’s local airlines to meet international standards.

The agency also attributed flight disruptions and cancellations to lack of adequate aircraft by airlines operating in Nigeria.

Speaking in Abuja at a stakeholders summit, the acting director general of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo said the target of the gathering is to improve our local airlines ability in order to compete internationally.

According to him, “We want to motivate, and we want to encourage our local operators so that they come up to every international standard and maintain that viability. No doubt, a sustainable regulatory framework built on collective engagement and strategic collaboration is critical to achieving operational excellence, enhance productivity, and sector growth without compromising safety standards.

“This approach, aligns with local and international regulations, it is a cornerstone of the NCAA’s Strategic focus.”

Represented by Capt. Donald Spiff, the DG explained that the specific objectives of the summit include: “bringing together critical stakeholders to advocate for adequate funding, sound financial management and operational safety in Nigeria’s civil aviation.

On his part, the director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection Services, Michael Achimugu said NCAA will continue to collaborate with relevant agencies to ensure the growth of local airlines.

He said, “By the time we have sorted out the number of planes in the country, by the time we have sorted out the issue of jet fuel, by the time we have seen what can be done, with some of the taxes, which one of them can be removed totally, or which one can be reduced, naturally These things should bring about a fall in airfare”.

The summit is one of the many ways the NCAA is interfacing with stakeholders in the Aviation industry in a bid to foster growth, standards and safety.

Meanwhile, the Authority, stated that lack of capacity by airlines to get more aircraft, noted that that the recently signed Practice Direction (Cape Town Convention) and Irrevocable De-Registration and Export Request Authorisation (IDERA) would enable airlines access more aircraft and boost the growth in the sector.

This was disclosed in Abuja on Wednesday by the director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of NCAA, Michael Achimugu, at the Civil Aviation Conference with the theme: ‘Building Viable Aviation Industry for National Economic Growth and Development’.

The NCAA expressed optimism that access to the aircraft would put an end to flight disruptions, reduce cost of airfares and boost the country’s economy.

According to Achimugu: “We have a capacity problem in Nigeria. We simply do not have enough aircraft to ferry people around the country. The minister and the DGCA have stated this before and we will not help ourselves by hiding the truth.

“We have capacity problems but there are also solutions and the most important of the solutions is the signing of the Practice direction; Cape Town Convention as well as the signing of the revised advisory circular on Irrevocable De-Registration and Export Request Authorisation (IDERA).

“Now, more planes can come into the country and if we have an adequate number of planes, there would be automatic reduction in flight disruptions because lack of capacity is one of the major reasons why there are flight disruptions. When there is disruption in the flight schedule, it affects the remaining schedule for the day because the airline does not have alternative aircraft to ferry people, hence they would have to waste passengers time and everything would suffer. If they have enough aircraft in their fleet, these issues will no longer arise.”

He also noted that the NCAA and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), were calibrating some airports to address issues of flight disruptions and delays.

He added that increment in fleet of the airlines would also lead to reduction in airfares.