Stakeholders identify factors hindering Nigeria’s aviation

STAKEHOLDERS across the different Aviation and allied sectors who gathered to address the multiple challenges hindering the growth of the sector have identified anti-competitive practices such as unfair pricing, delays without refund, poor service delivery, and inadequate redress mechanisms as part of the factors militating against the development of the sector.

The participants who cut across Aviation agencies, airlines, ground handling companies, oil marketers and other allied businesses, at the end of the annual conference organized by the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC), agreed that there was the need by the federal government to address the identified challenges.

The different bodies which spoke at the 28th annual conference themed: ‘Aviation Survivability Amidst a Challenging Macro-Economic Environment’, emphasized among others the need by government to discontinue the policy requiring 50% of internally generated revenue from aviation agencies to be remitted to the federation account.

According to the key players, discontinuing the deduction of the 50 percent would allow agencies like the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to reinvest in infrastructure and developmental projects.

The gathering while highlighting the importance of corporate gov-ernance, infrastructure improve-ment, and reducing dependence on foreign exchange, they equally called for efficiency, affordability, collaboration, and the use of technology to enhance service delivery.

The conference emphasized the need for a strong insurance policy given Nigeria’s high-risk status even as the necessity of drafting laws that reflect the Cape Town Convention to ensure transparency in aircraft leasing was given adequate focus at the conference.

Operational and regulatory challenges, including inefficiencies and policy flip-flops were identified as part of the challenges hindering the development of the sector while the stakeholders called for the review of aviation regulations to reflect emerging trends in the sector.

Owing to the hitherto lamentation of many airlines and other allied business owners about the unfriendly environment to prosperous businesses, the key players urged the federal government to create a favourable environment for business without interfering in the day-to-day affairs of the industry.

Equally, the gathering underscored the critical need for concerted efforts and strategic collaboration to navigate the challenging macro-economic environment facing Nigeria’s aviation industry.

The resolutions and strategies adopted at the conference aimed to enhance operational efficiency, optimise resources, and ensure the industry’s long-term sustainability and growth.

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