NIGERIA’S Commissioner of Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Mr Akin Olateru has declared that without financial relief, it may take the country’s aviation sector a very long time to recover from the devastating CORONAVIRUS pandemic.
Speaking on behalf of the minister of aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika at a one day seminar organised by the aviation journalists in Lagos entitled: ‘Nigeria’s aviation industry: Management, Policy and Regulation’, Olateru said to be able to recover on time that Nigeria’s aviation policy formulators must engage in policy engineering and make great financial decisions to get out of the woods.
While insisting that to achieve this successfully, all the aviation agencies and other support services would need relief and financial intervention from the Federal Government, Olateru added “Without financial relief, I do not see a quick recovery.
“We need aggressive policy and we need to do much more on implementation that is very aggressive. As you are aware Covid-19 has put the global economy to the test, with air transport being undoubtedly the hardest hit by the pandemic.”
He hinted that the Ministry of Aviation in conjunction with the aviation agencies were already working with the National Assembly to review and amend all the aviation agencies’ Acts to provide effective management of services and align with modern technological development in line with international best practices and development in International Civil Aviation.
Also speaking at the event, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Captain Rabiu Yadudu predicted that the devastating effects of COVID-19 on Nigeria’s aviation sector like other climes would take the country another 24 months or even more to fully recover.
This is coming as statistics from the International Airline Transport Association (IATA) on COVID-19’s economic impact on Nigeria has revealed a revenue loss of $994 million in 2020.
Commenting on behalf of the Nigerian airlines, Chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema lamented the devastating effects of COVID-19 on airlines and the aviation industry at large, stating that Nigeria was not immuned from the pandemic.
“A lot has been said about airlines in Nigeria. Lack of good regulations and policies have been blamed for the myriad of problems confronting the sector. Things are evolving. We hope it will be better. Why are airlines failing? Could it be from the airlines themselves and other factors?
Onyema revealed that a lot of people have blamed airlines’ collapse on faulty structures of airlines occasioned by decisions that are injurious to the carriers without knowing it.
“Government policies in the recent past had been better compared to what we had in the past. The present government has done well in the area of policy such as customs duty waiver on aircraft spare parts and VAT and others that are favourable to the airlines,” he further stated.
The Chairman of Westlink Airlines, Captain Ibrahim Mshelia urged FAAN to start thinking of arriving at a fair levy for the services the aviation agency provides to operators, adding that the huge burden of cost of operations would enjoy a degree of relief to the airlines.
“We should also start thinking of a very fair operational ground that will allow airlines to register to handle themselves to taste. The idea to patronise the handling companies is a great value chain activity.
“However, sometimes some of these companies do not measure up to the niche or standard of airlines and have caused many to lose their passengers. It would be a brilliant idea to allow airlines that can certify themselves to handle themselves provided they meet CAA standard”.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Buhari Urges MTN For Quality Service, Downward Price Review In Cost Of Data, Other Services
President Muhammadu Buhari Friday at State House Abuja urged the MTN Group to make the available top-of-the-range service to its Nigerian subscribers.. ‘Nigeria’s aviation requires adequate financial relief to recover from post COVID-19 implementation’ ; ‘Nigeria’s aviation requires adequate financial relief to recover from post COVID-19 implementation’ ; ‘Nigeria’s aviation requires adequate financial relief to recover from post COVID-19 implementation’ ; ‘Nigeria’s aviation requires adequate financial relief to recover from post COVID-19 implementation’.