Factors working against alliances amongst domestic airlines

Obviously, the role being played by Aviation Round Table (ART), one of the non-governmental groups of various aviation professionals holding sway at the country’s aviation sector cannot be underestimated.

One of the positive vibes the group often brings to bear in the sector is in its ability to use the long years of vast professional experience of its members to set the stage for the development of the sector to meet up with the global aviation community.

This notable feat has played out in the different meetings tagged by the body as ‘breakfast meetings’ during when critical issues confronting the sector are debated with solutions proffered through the contributions of core professionals both from within the country and outside.

At each breakfast meeting called by ART, topical issues identified for discussions are those which at each particular point in time touch on the soul of business within the sector.

This was again brought to the fore at the recent breakfast meeting tagged: “Utilising Interlining and Codeshare Agreements as Tools for Domestic Airlines Profitability and Passenger Comfort’.

At the end of the gathering, it was generally agreed that all players, especially the domestic airlines urgently needed to embrace the culture of collaboration for them to become more formidable and withstand the test of time.

In other words, the long time calls on the airlines to consider cooperation through codesharing, interlining and alliances was once again re-echoed at the last breakfast meeting where the necessity of forming alliances amongst the airlines formed the major discussion.

The need for the Nigerian airlines to cooperate at this critical time of economic hardship worsened by the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic is not debatable as similar co-operations amongst the mega carriers of this world have not only kept them in business but make them profitable.

As good as co-operation is meant to be, why many of the Nigerian carriers are not hearkening to this clarion calls even as some of them had come and collapsed due to myriad of challenges, has also taken a central stage presently.

From all indications, it’s almost becoming a rocket science to form alliances by the domestic airlines as few of such cooperation attempted in the past did not see the light of the day.

All hope is not lost as the Akwa Ibom State owned airline, Ibom Air has broken the jinx with the announcement of an ongoing plan by the airline to cooperate with Dana Air to provide seamless air travels for the public.

While the bold move by Ibom Air to parley Dana Air against all odds deserves commendation and encouragement from all stakeholders, it may not be out of place to also look into how the unfriendly environment created through bad policies of government has greatly contributed to the unwillingness of the airlines to form alliances.

Key players, who have criticised the airlines for not embracing the spirit of cooperation may also need to consider how the unfriendly policies of government have contributed to discouraging many of the airlines.

One of the reasons the policy of forming alliances are working in other climes may not be far from how the governments of the different nations put in policies and resources that encourage their airlines to solidify and subsequently embrace alliances.

No doubt, if the government had made the business environment friendlier, perhaps, the airlines would have shown better confidence in the system.

Under the present situation, it will take a resilient and a daring operator to open up his books in the name of forming alliances.

The present situation of things ranging from lack of access to forex, expensive aviation fuel, double taxation amongst others, have made it almost impossible for many of the Nigerian airlines to want to join his investment with someone else in the name of cooperation.

Therefore, to make it easy for the airlines to interline or codeshare, government needs to make the environment more attractive to airline business to build up confidence of the airlines. Equally, the airlines on their parts should drop their toga of pride and be willing to cooperate, or of what use will it be to be called the owner of an airline that may not stand the test of time?

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