The chairman of Air Peace airline, Barr. Allen Onyema, said the government must review the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA), with foreign countries because it was skewed against Nigeria.
Onyema, speaking in the airline’s inflight Magazine, ALICE, made available to LEADERSHIP, bemoaned the overbearing influence of international airlines operating in Nigeria.
According to Onyema, the BASA were entered into over three decades when Nigeria has no required aviation capacity.
He, however, disclosed that reviewing the BASA would help local operators in Nigeria grow and help Nigerians travel to any where in the world at affordable rates.
To him, “most of the Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASA) Nigeria entered into with most countries were signed when Nigeria did not have the required aviation capacity. But as a Lawyer with over 30 years experience, I dare aver that these agreements are long over due for alterations.
“The alterations to the BASAs will help local operators In Nigeria, like Air Peace, grow and even more importantly, the alterations in the BASA would help Nigerians travel to any where in the world at affordable rates.”
While affirming that Air Peace now has the capacity and equipment to transport persons and goods from Nigeria to any part of the world, he added that the airline is equipped and poised to criss-cross all of Africa, Europe, Asia and the United States of America at affordable rates for persons travelling to and from Nigeria.
It is on this score that Air Peace has joined Airline Operators Association of Nigeria to strongly object to the overbearing influence of international airline operators in Nigeria.
He, however, expressed his happiness that the federal government and the national assembly are united to redress the trend.
“I am happy that both the Federal Ministry of Aviation and the National Assembly are working very closely with Airline Operators Association in Nigeria to redress these anomalies in Nigeria’s Bilateral Air Services Agreements. I commend the Minister and the leadership of both chambers of Nigeria’s National Assembly for their cooperation. Let me once again assure our esteemed customers and stakeholders that Air Peace is built to last.
“I reiterate that the airline was not conceived and established just to make profit. The original plans are to give Nigeria dignity in the comity of nations and of course create jobs for hundreds of our talented and very qualified compatriots. | am immensely appreciative of your support and patronage,” he pointed out.
