An aviation expert and major shareholder in Royal Crystal Airways, Saheed Mosadoluwa, has stated that Lagos State should be a major player in the aviation industry as its involvement will go a long way to improve air transportation in Nigeria, adding that this in addition to other efforts will reduce the problems facing the aviation industry and Nigerian travelers.
He highlighted the current situation in the aviation industry especially in terms of wide disparity in the cost of flight tickets from Nigeria to countries outside Africa compared to the cost the same airlines are charging to the same destination from neighboring countries and other African countries pointing out the recent trending news on the cost of one-way ticket of Lagos to London on Turkish Airlines which is put at $1,636, whereas a one-way ticket from Cotonou to London on the same Turkish Airlines is said to cost $469, which is just like a quarter of what Nigerian passengers are being charged.
Mosadoluwa, is an industry player with over 20 years experience i6n freight forwarding, cargo handling and general aviation, he has certificates on Certified Travel Industry Executives (CTIE) from Aviation International, after which obtained the clearing and forwarding license from the Nigerian Customs Service before approaching the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority where he obtained an Air Travel Organizers’ license.
He had also worked as the director of Operations with defunct Kabo airline for nine years before, Saudis Gulf airline where he was made the Director of Hajj Operations for West Africa. His feat as an Hajj Operator where he had a seamless operation in the movement of intending pilgrims from Ghana, Togo and Benin Republic also further reintroduced him to the Nigerian travelling population, his flight operations has seen him enter operational agreement with Sama Airline of Saudi Arabia and White Airways of Portugal.
Mosadoluwa is of the belief that the lack of a national carrier or Indigenous owned airline that will be plying most route is part of the reason Nigeria is facing price discrimination using as example, what happened when Air peace started plying Abu Dhabi, and it forced the Emirates airline to reduce the cost of flight tickets by about half.
He also believes that some privileged Nigerian States like Lagos and Kano can introduce State owned airlines which may be in form of Public-Private Partnership (PPP), this according to him will take the bulk off the State he said. He’s also an advocate of a professional driven aviation industry, which will see the regulators working with the interest of the local operators at heart.
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